Apayauq Reitan
Norwegian-American Iñupiaq dog musher
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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.[2] She is a citizen of both Norway and the United States.[3]
She is the subject of Apayauq, a 2023 short documentary film by Zeppelin Zeerip.[4] The film won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the 2023 Inside Out Film and Video Festival.[5]
Early life
Apayauq was born c. 1997[6] in Trondheim, Norway. She often spent time travelling between the communities of Narjordet and Kaktovik, Alaska.[7] She started mushing at age four at her family's tourism kennel, Alaskan Husky Tours.[8][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.[7] She came out publicly on March 8, 2021, International Women's Day.[7]
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] In 2019, Apayauq, then about 21, became the third person to complete the Iditarod and Yukon Quest as a rookie in the same year.[8]
Apayauq became the first openly trans woman to compete in the Iditarod in 2022, though she had previously completed the race in 2019 before coming out.[3][7][9] She was the third openly transgender athlete to compete in the race, following Quince Mountain, a trans man who competed in 2020, and Will Troshynski, a trans man who completed the race in 2021.[10][11] 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.[12] 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".[12]