Apayauq Reitan is an Iñupiaq dog musher from Norway. She participated in the 2019 Iditarod as a rookie, finishing in 28th place in 12 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes, and 17 seconds.[1] She also ran the Yukon Quest that year, also as a rookie. In 2022, she became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Iditarod. She is a citizen of both Norway and the United States.[2]

She is the subject of Apayauq, a 2023 short documentary film by Zeppelin Zeerip.[3] The film won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the 2023 Inside Out Film and Video Festival.[4]

Early life

Apayauq was born in c. 1997[5] in Trondheim, Norway. She often spent time travelling between the communities of Narjordet and Kaktovik, Alaska.[6] She started mushing at age four at her family's tourism kennel, Alaskan Husky Tours.[7][1] She changed her name to remove her Norwegian/English boy name after she had come out to her family. After doing so, she received her tavluġun, traditional Iñupiaq chin tattoo.[6] She came out publicly on March 8, 2021, International Women's Day.[6]

Organized Mushing

Apayauq started organized mushing at age 15, when she ran the Femund Jr. 220km, later running it at age 16.[1] Then, in 2017, she ran some more races, including the Kobuk 440. Her dad, Ketil Reitan, finished the Iditarod, after which Apayauq took the family's dogs back home.[1]

2019 Iditarod And Yukon Quest

In 2019, Apayauq, then about 21, became the third person to complete the Iditarod and Yukon Quest as a rookie in the same year.[7]

2022 Iditarod

Apayauq became the first openly trans woman to compete in the Iditarod in 2022.[2][6] She is the second openly transgender athlete to compete in the race, following Quince Mountain, a trans man who competed in 2020.[8] She won the red lantern in 37th place in 13 days, 8 hours, 39 minutes, and 13 seconds.[1] During the Iditarod, Apayauq criticized the Alaskan school sports ban on transgender girls.[9] Julie Smyth, another Iñupiaq woman, was also opposed to the ban, as Iñupiaq culture was more accepting of transgender identities, stating it is "common in many communities to be transgender".[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eye on the Trail: Last Teams to Finish March 17th". Iditarod. January 13, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Walker, Richard Arlin. "Inupiat musher set to make history in Iditarod". Ict News.
  3. ↑ Yvonne Krumrey, "Juneau hosts Alaska premiere of film about first openly transgender woman to run the Iditarod". KTOO, April 6, 2023.
  4. ↑ Valerie Complex, "InsideOut 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival Announces 2023 Award Winners". Deadline Hollywood, June 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ Oliver, Shady Grove; Media, special to Alaska Public (March 10, 2022). "'Proud to be an Iñupiaq woman': Apayauq Reitan makes history as first out trans woman in the Iditarod".
  6. 1 2 3 4 Oliver, Shady Grove (4 March 2022). "'Life on hard mode': the first out trans woman competing in the Iditarod". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Martin Apayauq Reitan | Yukon Quest". www.yukonquest.com.
  8. ↑ Julie Compton (2020-03-09). "Meet Quince Mountain, the Iditarod's first trans dog musher". NBC News.
  9. 1 2 Bethel, Olivia Ebertz, KYUK- (March 15, 2022). "Coaches, officials and athletes denounce proposed ban on transgender students playing girls' school sports". KTOO.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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