Marie Sirois (Septembre 2, 1865 – January 18, 1920), erroneously known as Marie-Louise,[1] was a French-Canadian strongwoman who was promoted as the strongest woman in the world.[2]
Marie Sirois | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1865 Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Canada East |
| Died | 1920 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Known for | Strongwoman |
By age 17, she was noted for having lifted barrels weighing 115 kilograms.[2]
After her family moved to Salem, Massachusetts, she married fellow Quebec strongman Henri Cloutier and performed at his gym in Salem.[3] She became a professional athlete at age 25 and became known for lifting a 1,300-kilogram platform on her back and also restraining a pair of 635-kilogram horses in a similar manner as done by Louis Cyr.[2]
Her performance continued even in her later years, such as the 1917 inauguration (when she was 50 years old) of the Montreal monument to George-Étienne Cartier where she lifted alongside strongman Arthur Dandurand.[4]
After her death in 1920, she was buried in her husband's hometown of Roxton Pond, Quebec. Her tombstone describes her as "la femme plus forte du monde".[4]
References
edit- ^ Martin, Gabriel, « Marie Sirois (1865-1920), femme la plus forte du monde », Montréal, Histoire Québec, 21 mars 2017, vol. 22, no 4, p. 21-25.
- ^ a b c Linderman, Tracey (March 8, 2015). "Marie-Louise Sirois-Cloutier, the strongest woman in the world?". CBC News.
- ^ Édouard-Zotique Massicotte, Athlètes canadiens-français. Recueil des exploits de force, d'endurance, d'agilité, des athlètes et des sportsmen de notre race, depuis le XVIIIe siècle, Montréal, Librairie Beauchemin, 1909, p. 209-215.
- ^ a b Rochon, Johanne. "The strongest woman in the world". lepatriote.ca (in French). Historical Society of the Haute-Yamaska. Retrieved 8 March 2015.