Deborah Wills, a 33-year-old ex-professional rugby player and gym manager from Oxfordshire, stunned everyone when she split an axe handle with a flawless bullseye on her very first attempt at axe throwing. The incredible feat took place during a party at the Homewood Hotel and Spa near Bath, Somerset.
With no prior experience throwing axes, Deborah stepped up and landed her first throw dead center on the bullseye. Her follow-up throw then struck the handle of the lodged axe, splitting it clean in two. Spectators were left in complete disbelief.
Reflecting on the moment, Deborah said, “Everyone was just in total shock.” She admitted her short-sightedness made it hard to believe what happened: “I only heard the sound of the wood splitting and genuinely couldn’t believe it.”
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Her husband caught the astonishing event on camera, and the instructor confirmed it was something he had never seen before. Given how little instruction Deborah had received prior to her throws—each participant only got five attempts—her performance was extraordinary.
Not only did Deborah nail the split, but she also finished the session with four bullseyes out of five, topping the leaderboard ahead of her husband. “When the first one hit the bullseye, I thought it must be a fluke,” she explained. “But then with the second one, it just felt crazy.”
Normally, participants wait to retrieve their axes until everyone has finished, but after such an impressive shot, the instructor allowed Deborah to collect hers immediately. She humbly added, “I definitely apologised for breaking the equipment but they understood it was a total accident.”