Kinnon Ross MacKinnon was eager to scratch a familiar competitive itch.

It had been five years since the Nova Scotia-born, Toronto resident competed in sport, an unusually long break after adolescent years spent vying for titles both locally and nationally in soccer, golf, skiing and snowboarding.

Picking up powerlifting was a natural transition for the lifelong athlete, but one thing was different: for the first time in his life, MacKinnon was competing as a man.

Two years on, MacKinnon, a transgender man, is preparing to represent his hometown, Antigonish, and his adopted city at his biggest contest yet: the international Gay Games in Cleveland, Ohio. He will compete in the 75.0 kilogram weight class of the 24 to 34 year old division on Aug. 10.

“I don’t know how many competitors will be trans, but I suspect those numbers will be pretty low in terms of representation. I’m looking forward to representing trans people because I think within the LGBT community trans people are often left out of the conversation, and remain a vulnerable population within the vulnerable population,” MacKinnon said.

Born in the small town in eastern Nova Scotia, MacKinnon, now 29, grew up not knowing what it meant to be a transgender person. He moved to Halifax for university still presenting as a woman. While there, he came out as bisexual.

MacKinnon began presenting himself as a man after moving to Toronto eight years ago. He began his female to male transition four years later.

Powerlifting, MacKinnon said, was a way to make his body look more masculine. He wanted to build wider shoulders and a wider back, inverting his female shape by transforming his upper half.

He fell in love with the sport, and began training two years ago in anticipation of the 9th Gay Games this summer.

“I’ve never been to an international LGBT sports event. I’ve heard from some past competitors that the energy is really positive and really great.”

MacKinnon trains with the Toronto Rex Powerlifting Club and competes in local contests through the Ontario Powerlifting Association (OPA). At his last competition in late June, he scored a 352-lb. squat, a 253-lb. bench press and a 430-lb. dead lift. The latter was 2.75 times his body weight.

“I’d love to get it to three times my body weight, but I’m not there yet.”

As part of his female to male transition, MacKinnon was prescribed testosterone for physical sex characteristics development. The hormone is considered a banned substance in the OPA, but keeps his testosterone levels at a normal male range for his age group.

MacKinnon’s prescription is a concern for the powerlifter, who worries the association could ban him from competing if he’s ever drug tested.

“They don’t have a trans-inclusion policy. It’s probably just because they’ve never thought about it before.”

At the Gay Games, MacKinnon is required to be on hormone replacement therapy.

“If there was a trans man who wasn’t taking testosterone then he would have to compete as female. He wouldn’t be allowed to compete as a man.”

But compete as a man he will, with the support of girlfriend Pina Newman, who will travel with MacKinnon to Cleveland in early August. He also has the support of Mississauga plastic surgeon Dr. Hugh McLean, who performed MacKinnon’s top surgery two years ago and is sponsoring the athlete.

McLean is a big supporter of the transgender community and his patients, MacKinnon said. The doctor quelled MacKinnon’s pre-surgery fears that he would never get any stronger after the procedure, which includes large incisions and sewing into the pectoral muscles.

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“He knows how important strength training is to me. I had already been competing in powerlifting when I went to him for my surgery, but he said there most likely wouldn’t be any significant damage and I would probably get stronger.”

With McLean’s help, MacKinnon has become stronger, a trait he’ll be proud to show off at the games.

“I feel like by competing at the Gay Games I can encourage other trans people to get involved in competitive sports.”