Women of the Wheel: Louise Armaindo

Womanica

Acast Creative Studios

History, Society & Culture, Education

4.3 • 920 Ratings

🗓️ 12 September 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Louise Armaindo (c.1861 - 1900) was a Canadian strongwoman, trapeze artist, “pedestrienne”, and record-breaking high-wheel racer. She was one of the first professional women athletes. Though her feats of power and endurance earned her recognition as one of the great athletes of her time years after she was last seen, much of her story remained a historical footnote until recently.

For Further Reading:

This month, we're talking about Women of the Wheel – icons who turned motion into momentum and spun their legacies on spokes, skates and potter's wheels. These women harnessed the power of the axle, pushing their crafts and professions forward through their works and lives.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, Vanessa Handy, Melia Agudelo, and Joia Putnoi. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an I-Heart podcast.
0:06.4	Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.
0:11.2	This month we're talking about women of the wheel, icons who turned motion into momentum
0:15.2	and spun their legacies on spokes, skates, and potter's wheels.
0:19.6	These women harness the power of the axle,
0:22.1	pushing their crafts and professions forward
0:24.2	through their works and lives.
0:27.3	Today we're talking about a strong woman.
0:29.7	She was undoubtedly physically strong,
0:31.9	but she was also a talented circus performer,
0:34.2	a nimble trapeze artist, and a record-breaking high-wheel racer. In her day, some even
0:39.4	considered her the greatest female athlete of all time. Please welcome Louise Armando.
0:49.2	Though Louise lived by her stage name, she was born Louise Breesbois in Montreal, Canada, in the early
0:55.3	1860s. We don't know much for certain about Louise's early life. Like all illustrious performers
1:01.7	with a stage name, she likely invented her stage biography, too, or at least part of it.
1:08.0	According to that tale, she was inspired to become an athlete by her mother, a circus
1:12.2	strong woman who could lift 900 pounds of dead weight. By the time Louise was 18 years old,
1:18.6	she could lift close to that, 760 pounds. With the help of a special contraption, she could even
1:25.3	lift four men off the ground with just her teeth.
1:30.8	She soon took to trakees art and with performers do tricks in the air from various hanging ropes,
1:36.3	bars, and chains. This was a common attraction in circuses, but it was difficult, dangerous,
1:42.1	and poorly paid work.
	...

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