Anne Andres, aged 40, has established multiple records within the female category, including deadlift and bench press achievements. Over the past four years, she has triumphed in nine out of eleven competitions.
Andres made his mark at the 2023 Western Canadian Championship organized by the Canadian Powerlifting Union, taking place at Brandon University’s Healthy Living Centre. Competing in the Female Masters Unequipped division, she secured the top position, outperforming Michelle Kymanick and SuJan Gil.
According to preliminary reports, Andres achieved a total powerlifting score that exceeded the top-performing female’s score in the same class by over 200kg – a remarkable 597.5kg against SuJan Gil’s 387.5kg total. A “total” in powerlifting encompasses the combined maximum lifts in squat, bench press, and deadlift.
It’s noteworthy that Andres’ total would have positioned her among the leading male powerlifters if she had competed in the men’s division.
An attendee of the championship shared that Andres not only set a Canadian women’s national record but also established an unofficial world powerlifting record for women.
Proud of his achievements, Andres posted videos on Instagram showcasing her participation, where she engaged with female athletes while sporting pink socks and vibrant blue-dyed hair.
In a post, she expressed his sentiments: “Today I did some lifting. Not just some lifting. I got to lift with friends from across Canada… I got every masters [sic] record and two unofficial world masters records. I care about being there with my friends.”
The Western Canadian Championships, conducted under the umbrella of the Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU), introduced a gender self-identification policy earlier this year. Despite encountering opposition from advocates of women’s rights, this policy allowed individuals to participate in women’s competitions based solely on self-identified gender.
The CPU’s “Trans Inclusion Policy,” unveiled in February, explicitly endorsed the inclusion of transgender powerlifters in their chosen gender category, as advised by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES).
Controversy arose earlier when Andres posted a video appearing to mock female athletes, specifically questioning their bench press performance.
In response to the participation of male athletes in women’s sports, Linda Blade, founder of the International Consortium on Female Sport, criticized the CPU for permitting Andres’ involvement with female competitors. She condemned the CPU for promoting this perceived unfairness.