Oct 242 min read

A Conversation with April Hutchinson, Champion for Women's Sports | Ep 190

It was pleasure to be invited to speak with Sasha and Stella on Gender: A Wider Lens

Sasha & Stella welcome April Hutchinson (@aprilhutchinson5801) — former team Canada powerlifter, North American deadlift record holder, fairness for women in sports advocate and grateful recovering alcoholic — where they discuss her incredible journey from battling alcohol addiction to becoming a world-class powerlifter.

During COVID, she turned to powerlifting as part of her recovery, and within a short period, she achieved record-breaking lifts, catapulting her to elite status in the sport holding national records, an extraordinary feat given her short time in the sport. However, her career took a dramatic turn. In this episode, April recounts the controversy she faced in the powerlifting world. After discovering that a male-to-female transgender athlete was competing against women, she felt compelled to speak out driven by her commitment to truth and fairness. What followed was a tumultuous battle with the Canadian Powerlifting Union that led to her suspension, highlighting the tension between truth-telling, fairness in sports, and the broader societal debates around gender. April shares the personal and professional consequences she faced, the courage it took to stand by her convictions, and her fight for fairness in women’s sports. Her story is a powerful testament to resilience, truth-telling, and standing up for what’s right, no matter the cost.

Thank you ladies, it was so meaningful and heartfelt.