Teacher crowned first-ever winner of Glasgow tree-hugging competition at Darnley Country Park

A teacher has been crowned as Glasgow’s first-ever tree-hugging champion after the city’s inaugural competition.

Hannah Mary Willow had never heard of the unusual contest before her friend encouraged her to sign up.

After deciding to take part, the 36-year-old said she still didn’t know what to expect when she arrived at the competition in Darnley Country Park on October 6.

“I turned up so unprepared, I thought it was a charity event at first,” she told STV News.

Hannah Mary Willow became Glasgow's first ever tree-hugging champion. — Hannah Mary Willow became Glasgow’s first ever tree-hugging champion. Supplied

“It was only ten minutes before I arrived that I realised the contest had three categories including a speed race, dedication and freestyle.”

During the contest, Ms Willow was tasked with hugging as many trees for at least five seconds within one minute during the speed round.

The mum-of-three was also tasked with showing love and appreciation for a tree in the dedication round, in which she relied on her background in ballet and improvised a barefoot dance.

“It was so lovely to be public with the love I have for the forest, I find myself often skipping through the woods, it is so good to connect with nature,” she added.

Despite her lack of preparation, Ms Willow was comfortable with the tasks due to her experience running meditation walks and forest bathing workshops in Troon.

“I’m an early years teacher, but I also run mindfulness and meditation walks,” Ms Willow said.

The teacher has also written a book about a child who finds mother nature in the form of tree, with every book sold helping to plant a tree.

“There’s so many benefits to connecting with nature and being out, you get the same amount of oxytocin when you hug a tree as when you hug a person,” she added.

Speaking about her win, she said: “I cried, I never win anything, it felt really joyful and everybody there felt like family, everyone was so lovely and in the experience to have a nice time.”

Although, the teacher had little knowledge about the contest before entering, her first place win secured her an invite to the world championships in Finland next year.

A crowdfunder has since been launched to help Ms Willow get to Finland to compete, a trip which she says will “lessen” the embarrassment from her children.