London, Ont. woman lifts her way to national championship in story of addiction, recovery and perseverance

April Hutchinson used powerlifting to lift her from her darkest place.

April Hutchinson used powerlifting to lift her from her darkest place.

Her journey is now taking her to the Canadian Championships in May after dominating the field at the Central Region Championships. She’s the number one powerlifter for her age in the country.

“Powerlifting basically consists of three lifts,” says Hutchinson, a 45-year old City of London employee. “It is the squat, bench and deadlift. They take your best weight from three lifts and add them together for your score.”

She trains five nights per week, and will be considered a favourite to win the Masters category in St. John’s Nfld. in May.

This comes after lifting a total of 1,030 lbs at the Central Powerlifting Championships in November 2021.

“When we went to Central's there's no one really that could touch us,” says Stefan Perras, Hutchinson’s personal trainer, and coach.

“She won by a couple 100 points, and it’s going to be the same thing at nationals. She can compete with young girls in their twenties and thirties and she’s a natural at it”.