A London woman whose powerlifting career helped her achieve sobriety says she faces a two-year ban by the sport's national sanctioning body after criticizing a record-breaking transgender athlete competing against her.
A London woman whose powerlifting career helped her achieve sobriety says she faces a two-year ban by the sport’s national sanctioning body after criticizing a record-breaking transgender athlete competing against her.
April Hutchinson, who last year told The Free Press her story of overcoming alcoholism through powerlifting, has stated on social media she’s being punished by the Canadian Powerlifting Union “for speaking up about males competing against females” – a topic that has riled other sports and turned the right-wing media’s spotlight on the Londoner.
“Power lifting is a pure strength sport,” Hutchinson told U.K. broadcaster Piers Morgan in an October interview. “(Biological) males have a 60-70 per cent advantage over females. It’s disheartening. I am the one being punished for speaking the truth.”
Hutchinson indicated in the interview there’s a specific opponent who has raised her concerns and she’s been warned to not refer to transgender women competitors as “biological males.”