Laura Creavalle facts for kids

Laura Cordelia Creavalle is a famous female bodybuilder who was born in Guyana. She is also a Canadian and American citizen. She became well-known for her strength and amazing physique in the world of professional bodybuilding.

Early Life and Moving to Canada

Laura Creavalle was born in 1959 in a country called British Guiana, which is now known as Guyana. When she was 13 years old, she moved to Canada. She went to high school at Industrial High School and later studied at Mercy College.

Laura's Bodybuilding Journey

Starting as an Amateur

Laura's journey into bodybuilding began in 1982 during a trip to Kingston, Jamaica. She saw a women's bodybuilding competition and was really impressed. She noticed that one of the top competitors had a body shape similar to hers, with a stronger lower body. This inspired Laura to start training when she returned home to Toronto, Ontario.

Just six months later, Laura entered her very first competition, the Novice Ontario Championships. She won the lightweight title, which was a great start! In 1983, she teamed up with her training partner, Tony Melville, and they placed second in the Canadian Couples Championships. Laura's interest in bodybuilding grew even more after a trip to California, which led her to move there.

In 1986, she won the NPC USA Championships. She earned her "pro card" in 1988 by winning the heavyweight class at the IFBB World Amateur Championships in Puerto Rico. A pro card means you can compete as a professional bodybuilder.

Becoming a Professional

After getting her pro card, Laura Creavalle started her professional career in 1988. Her first big professional contest was the Ms. Olympia competition. She competed in the Ms. Olympia an amazing 12 times before she retired!

During her professional career, Laura was a runner-up twice at the Ms. Olympia, coming in second place in 1992 and 1994. She also won the Ms. International title three times, in 1990, 1994, and 1995. These were some of the biggest wins in her career.

Retiring from Competition

Laura Creavalle competed for many years. After placing 6th at the 2002 Ms. Olympia contest, she decided to retire from professional bodybuilding.

Her Lasting Impact

Laura Creavalle's achievements in bodybuilding were recognized when she was added to the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2007. This is a special honor for athletes who have made a big impact in the sport. Today, she is known as the most successful bodybuilder of Guyanese background in the world.

Major Contest Wins

Laura Creavalle had many impressive wins during her career. Here are some of her top achievements:

• 1983 Novice Canada - 1st place
• 1986 NPC USA Championship - 1st place (Light Heavyweight and overall winner)
• 1988 IFBB World Amateur Championships - 1st place (Heavyweight)
• 1990 Ms. International - 1st place
• 1994 Ms. International - 1st place
• 1995 Ms. International - 1st place
• 1999 Pro Extravaganza - 1st place

Life After Bodybuilding

After retiring from competing, Laura Creavalle continued to be involved in health and fitness. She runs something called Club Creavalle Training Camp. Here, she offers personal training, helps people with their nutrition, and provides other related services.

Laura has also written two cookbooks: A Taste of Club Creavalle and The Lite Lifestyle: 150 Ultra Low Calorie Recipes for Rapid Weight Loss!. She also helped write The Health Handbook with her former husband, Chris Aceto. For a while, Laura was an editor for Muscle & Fitness magazine, where she wrote a column called Muscle Fare about low-fat cooking.

Since December 2000, Laura has been married to Colin Maragh. They live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Together, they sell healthy meals through their company, Healthy Gourmet Express. This company delivers 10 healthy meals to customers each week.

See also

In Spanish: Laura Creavalle para niños