![Brad De Losa is training hard for the Stihl Timbersports Pro Australian Championship. File picture. Brad De Losa is training hard for the Stihl Timbersports Pro Australian Championship. File picture.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/177763270/7583f782-97a8-4c55-abef-45a52bc02615.jpg/r0_27_1017_601_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Lithgow's woodchopping legend, Brad De Losa has been "Intensely" preparing for the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Australian Pro Championship at Wollongong this weekend.
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On September 16 De Losa will be competing in six different disciplines with axes and saws.
De Losa said he is feeling confident about the competition, despite facing some challenges throughout the year.
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"I'm feeling pretty good, I've had a couple of niggling injuries this year but everything else is going well," De Losa said.
"I'm looking forward to getting into it."
De Losa has been dedicated to training for the event, with a range of intensity levels to ensure he is well prepared.
"Training has been good, the last few weeks have been quite intense, but the lead up has been great and everything's set to go," De Losa said.
"There will be a little bit of light training coming this week and i'm ready to rip in."
The Australian Pro Championship will be the first major woodchopping event for De Losa since he came runner up at the Australia trophy in Glendale, Adelaide in March this year.
"I got beaten by a hit, so it was disappointing to have done all the hard work. I grabbed the lead, and then come from behind victory," De Losa told The Lithgow Mercury at the time.
"I had one chip hanging that sort of eroded, which cost me everything. It just didn't quite happen for me on that day, unfortunately."
De Losa has spent some of the time in between tournaments competing in shows around the country, but said he has wound down to focus on Wollongong.
"I haven't done a great deal in the lead up, I went up to the Brisbane show in August had a bit of a hit out up there. Other than that, I haven't been travelling to too many shows," De Losa said.
"I've just been concentrating on training at home to get set up for this [Australian championships]."
According to De Losa, he is feeling up to the challenge and acknowledges the talent of his competitors.
"I'm feeling confident, it will certainly be hard as it always is, you've got the best 12 timbersports competitors there from all around Australia," De Losa said.
"There's definitely some really good young guys coming through like Brayden Meyer, He's been in really good form the last few months and will probably be the one to beat."
De Losa admits that aging is a challenge he faces as he continues to compete, but isn't discouraged from giving it his all.
"It should be quite hard, it's not getting any easier as I get older but it's an enjoyable competition so hopefully everything will go well," De Losa said.
De Losa would like to thank sponsors Hutcheon and Pearce, his family, friends and the Lithgow community for their support.