Lenda Murray
Encyclopedia
Lenda Murray is a champion female bodybuilder
from the United States
. She is an eight-time winner of the Ms. Olympia
title, the highest achievement in professional female bodybuilding
.
. At Henry Ford High School
, Murray was both a record-holding sprinter and varsity cheerleader
. She went on to attend Western Michigan University
, earning a degree in political science. While at Western Michigan, she continued to cheerlead, and became the second African American
to be chosen as the university’s homecoming
queen in 1982 (Todd, 1999).
After a brief tenure cheerleading for the Michigan Panthers
in the now-defunct United States Football League
, Murray took to the bodybuilding stage in 1985. She rose quickly through the ranks, soon winning contests at the state and regional levels.
On November 24, 1990, Murray succeeded six-time champion Cory Everson
to become Ms. Olympia, a title Murray would hold for most of the following decade. She appeared in such mass-market publications as Sports Illustrated
, Ebony
, Mademoiselle
, and Vanity Fair, as well as in Annie Leibovitz
’s photo essay Women. Murray’s physique became the standard against which professional female bodybuilders are now judged – an hourglass figure, with broad shoulders tapering into a V-shaped torso mirrored by a proportionally-developed lower body.
Murray lost the Ms. Olympia title to Kim Chizevsky
in 1996, and went into retirement after finishing second to Chizevsky again in 1997. However, after four years of retirement she returned to the Ms. Olympia stage, and won two more Ms. Olympia titles in 2002 and 2003. She finished second in the heavyweight class to Iris Kyle
in 2004, and again retired from competition.
Murray has done color commentary for bodybuilding events on ESPN
.
Female bodybuilding
Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.-Beginnings:...
from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She is an eight-time winner of the Ms. Olympia
Ms. Olympia
Ms. Olympia is the title given to the winner of the women's bodybuilding portion of Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend - an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually by the International Federation of BodyBuilders . It was first held in 1980, and since 2000 it has been held at the same...
title, the highest achievement in professional female bodybuilding
Female bodybuilding
Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.-Beginnings:...
.
Early life and education
Murray was born in 1962 in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. At Henry Ford High School
Ford High School (Detroit, Michigan)
Henry Ford High School is located at 20000 Evergreen Road, on the northwest side of Detroit, Michigan; the facility is staffed and operated by Detroit Public Schools. Ford High opened its doors on September 5, 1957; it was constructed to accommodate an overflow of students from nearby Cooley,...
, Murray was both a record-holding sprinter and varsity cheerleader
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
. She went on to attend Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
, earning a degree in political science. While at Western Michigan, she continued to cheerlead, and became the second African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to be chosen as the university’s homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
queen in 1982 (Todd, 1999).
After a brief tenure cheerleading for the Michigan Panthers
Michigan Panthers
The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982....
in the now-defunct United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
, Murray took to the bodybuilding stage in 1985. She rose quickly through the ranks, soon winning contests at the state and regional levels.
Bodybuilding career
In 1989, she earned her professional status at the IFBB North American Championships. Murray soon became a regular presence in bodybuilding magazines and a favorite subject of photographer Bill Dobbins who focused extensively on her in his books The Women and Modern Amazons.On November 24, 1990, Murray succeeded six-time champion Cory Everson
Cory Everson
Corinna Kneuer , best known by her stage name Cory Everson, is an American female bodybuilding champion and actress. She won the Ms. Olympia contest six years in a row from 1984 to 1989.-Education:...
to become Ms. Olympia, a title Murray would hold for most of the following decade. She appeared in such mass-market publications as Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
, Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle (magazine)
Mademoiselle was an influential women's magazine first published in 1935 by Street and Smith and later acquired by Condé Nast Publications....
, and Vanity Fair, as well as in Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer.-Early life and education:Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's...
’s photo essay Women. Murray’s physique became the standard against which professional female bodybuilders are now judged – an hourglass figure, with broad shoulders tapering into a V-shaped torso mirrored by a proportionally-developed lower body.
Murray lost the Ms. Olympia title to Kim Chizevsky
Kim Chizevsky
Kim Chizevsky is an American professional female bodybuilding champion, and fitness and figure competitor.-Early life and education:...
in 1996, and went into retirement after finishing second to Chizevsky again in 1997. However, after four years of retirement she returned to the Ms. Olympia stage, and won two more Ms. Olympia titles in 2002 and 2003. She finished second in the heavyweight class to Iris Kyle
Iris Kyle
Iris Kyle is an American professional female bodybuilding champion.-Early life and education:"Iris Kyle" was born in 1974 in Benton Harbor, Michigan,the fifth of six children. Her early athletic endeavors included running cross country, basketball , and softball...
in 2004, and again retired from competition.
Murray has done color commentary for bodybuilding events on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Contest history
- 1985 NPC Michigan State - 4th
- 1985 NPC Eastern Michigan - 1st
- 1986 NPC Michigan - 3rd
- 1986 NPC Ironwoman Michigan - 3rd
- 1987 NPC Michigan - 3rd
- 1987 NPC North Coast - 2nd
- 1988 NPC Michigan - 1st
- 1989 NPC Junior Nationals - 1st (HW and Overall)
- 1989 IFBBInternational Federation of BodyBuildersThe International Federation of BodyBuilders is a competitive bodybuilding organization founded in 1946 by brothers Ben and Joe Weider and is the highest level of competitive bodybuilding in the world. Currently, the IFBB consists of seven different sub-divisions for different competitors ,...
North American Championships - 1st (HW and Overall) - 1990 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st
- 1991 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st
- 1992 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st
- 1993 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st
- 1994 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st
- 1995 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st
- 1996 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd
- 1997 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd
- 2002 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st (HW and Overall)
- 2003 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st (HW and Overall)
- 2004 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd (HW)