Carla Dunlap-Kaan facts for kids

Carla Dunlap-Kaan, born on October 22, 1954, is a famous American professional female bodybuilding champion. She is known for her strength and amazing achievements in the world of bodybuilding.

Carla Dunlap-Kaan's Early Life and Sports

Carla was born in 1954 in Newark, New Jersey. She started her journey in sports at a young age. When she was just 10 years old, she began competing in gymnastics.

Later, Carla became very good at swimming. She competed in both fast swimming races and synchronized swimming. Synchronized swimming is like a beautiful water ballet, where swimmers perform routines to music.

Carla also had a talent for art. She earned a full scholarship to the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts. There, she studied Advertising Design, which is about creating ads and designs.

Her swimming skills led her to win a gold medal in synchronized swimming in 1977. This was at the Junior National Team Championships. She also won a bronze medal at the first National Sports Festival in 1978.

Carla Dunlap-Kaan's Bodybuilding Journey

In 1979, Carla decided to try something new: bodybuilding! A friend suggested she enter a contest called "Best in the World." Even though she had never trained for bodybuilding before, she placed fifth out of 45 people. This was a great start!

After that first contest, Carla began training seriously for bodybuilding in March 1980. She quickly became very successful in amateur competitions. She won the NPC Nationals in both 1981 and 1982.

Winning the Ms. Olympia Title

Carla's most successful year was 1983. She won three professional shows, including the big Ms. Olympia contest. The year before, in 1982, she had almost won Ms. Olympia but lost by just two points to Rachel McLish. Winning in 1983 was a huge achievement!

Carla also teamed up with another bodybuilder, Tony Pearson. Together, they won the World Professional Mixed Pairs title twice, in 1984 and 1988.

Carla Dunlap-Kaan is special because she competed in bodybuilding for a long time. She was the only female bodybuilder to compete in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. She retired from competing in 1993.

Awards and Appearances

Carla's amazing career was recognized with several awards. In January 1999, she was added to the IFBB Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the best bodybuilders. In June 2009, she was also inducted into the AOBS Hall Of Fame.

Outside of competitions, Carla appeared in movies about bodybuilding. These included Women Of Iron (1984) and Pumping Iron II: The Women (1985).

In 1984, the TV channel ABC chose Carla to represent women's bodybuilding. She competed in the women's Superstars competition, where athletes from different sports compete. She finished seventh among eleven competitors.

From 1990 to 1995, Carla was a regular on ESPN's BodyShaping TV show. She also worked as a commentator, explaining bodybuilding and fitness events for channels like NBC and ESPN.

Carla Dunlap-Kaan's Contest History

Here is a list of some of the major bodybuilding contests Carla Dunlap-Kaan competed in:

• 1979 IFBB Best In The World - 5th place
• 1980 AAU Ms. America #1 - 1st place
• 1980 Eastern Cup - 1st place
• 1980 Ms. Atlantic Shore - 2nd place
• 1980 Bodybuilding Expo I - 1st place
• 1980 NPC USA Championship - 9th place
• 1980 NPC Nationals - 3rd place
• 1981 World Games I - 4th place (Middleweight)
• 1981 NPC USA Championship - 2nd place (Heavyweight)
• 1981 NPC Nationals - 1st place (Heavyweight and overall winner)
• 1981 Pro World Championship - 4th place
• 1981 Night of Champions - 1st place
• 1982 Super Bowl of Bodybuilding I - 1st place
• 1982 AFWB American Championships - 1st place (Heavyweight and overall winner)
• 1982 Swedish Grand Prix - 1st place
• 1982 NPC USA Championship - 2nd place (Heavyweight)
• 1982 NPC Nationals - 1st place (Heavyweight and overall winner)
• 1982 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd place
• 1982 Pro World Championship - 1st place
• 1983 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st place
• 1983 IFBB Caesars World Cup (Grand Prix Las Vegas) - 1st place
• 1984 Pro World Championship - 2nd place
• 1984 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 4th place
• 1985 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 4th place
• 1986 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 9th place
• 1987 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 12th place
• 1988 Pro World Championship - 10th place
• 1988 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 9th place
• 1993 Ms. International - 13th place

See also

In Spanish: Carla Dunlap-Kaan para niños