Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
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.
For links and resources relevant to this episode, access the full show notes at
widerlenspod.com/p/episode-190
- - -
Support Let’s Change Lives — Auction for Westover Treatment Centre: aprilhutchinson.com/auction-for-westover
Learn more about April Hutchinson at aprilhutchinson.com
Shop Her Merch: aprilhutchinson.com/shop
@aprilhutchinson5801 on YouTube
@Lea_Christina4 on X at https://x.com/Lea_Christina4?s=09
@april.hutchinson on Instagram at instagram.com/april.hutchinson
- - -
Buy Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents at whenkidssaytheyretrans.com
Join Our Listener Community to Access Exclusive Content at widerlenspod.com/
Support the Show at widerlenspod.com/p/support-the-show
Join this channel to get access to additional bonus content:
youtube.com/channel/UCP62aWWtlZV1oVnbMhTRBcg/join
- - -
For more information about Sasha’s & Stella’s parent coaching membership groups, visit:
Sasha Ayad: sashaayad.com/parenting-coaching
@SashaLPC
Stella O’Malley: stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching
@stellaomalleypsychotherapist
- - -
To learn more about our sponsors, visit:
Therapy First at therapyfirst.org
Genspect at genspect.org
- - -
If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting include:
Episode 139 - Sex, Politics, and Double-Standards:Trans Athletes in Women's Sports w/ Coach Linda Blade
youtu.be/XN0WKGUor_U
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.
For links and resources relevant to this episode, access the full show notes at
widerlenspod.com/p/episode-190
- - -
Support Let’s Change Lives — Auction for Westover Treatment Centre: aprilhutchinson.com/auction-for-westover
Learn more about April Hutchinson at aprilhutchinson.com
Shop Her Merch: aprilhutchinson.com/shop
@aprilhutchinson5801 on YouTube
@Lea_Christina4 on X at https://x.com/Lea_Christina4?s=09
@april.hutchinson on Instagram at instagram.com/april.hutchinson
- - -
Buy Our Book – When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents at whenkidssaytheyretrans.com
Join Our Listener Community to Access Exclusive Content at widerlenspod.com/
Support the Show at widerlenspod.com/p/support-the-show
Join this channel to get access to additional bonus content:
youtube.com/channel/UCP62aWWtlZV1oVnbMhTRBcg/join
- - -
For more information about Sasha’s & Stella’s parent coaching membership groups, visit:
Sasha Ayad: sashaayad.com/parenting-coaching
@SashaLPC
Stella O’Malley: stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching
@stellaomalleypsychotherapist
- - -
To learn more about our sponsors, visit:
Therapy First at therapyfirst.org
Genspect at genspect.org
- - -
If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting include:
Episode 139 - Sex, Politics, and Double-Standards:Trans Athletes in Women's Sports w/ Coach Linda Blade
youtu.be/XN0WKGUor_U
