Lenda Murray facts for kids

Lenda Murray, a famous bodybuilder.

Lenda Murray was born on February 22, 1962. She is an American professional female bodybuilding champion. She is known for winning the Ms. Olympia title many times.

Early Life and School

Lenda Murray was born in 1962 in Detroit, Michigan. Her parents were Darcelious and Louvelle Murray. She started playing organized sports when she was 15 years old.

At Henry Ford High School, Lenda was a fast runner and a cheerleader for the school team. She even set records in sprinting! After high school, she went to Western Michigan University. There, she studied political science and planned to become a lawyer. She continued to cheerlead in college. In 1982, she became the second African American person to be chosen as the university’s homecoming queen.

After college, she cheered for the Michigan Panthers football team for a short time. She then tried out for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. She almost made the team but decided she wanted to make her thighs a bit smaller.

Lenda Murray's Bodybuilding Journey

Starting as an Amateur

In 1984, Lenda joined a gym called Powerhouse Gym in Highland Park, Michigan. Just two days after joining, a top bodybuilder named Ron Love told her she had the right body to be a bodybuilder. After training for about a year just to stay in shape, Lenda decided to enter her first competition. This was the 1985 Ms. Michigan Championships. She placed fourth, and after that, she was hooked on the sport!

Lenda quickly became very good at bodybuilding. She won many state and regional contests. In 1989, she became a professional bodybuilder at the IFBB North American Championships.

Becoming a Professional Bodybuilder

Winning Ms. Olympia (1990–1997)

Once Lenda became a professional, she was often seen in bodybuilding magazines. She was also a favorite subject for photographer Bill Dobbins.

In 1990, Lenda won the Ms. Olympia competition. She took over from six-time champion Cory Everson and won against Bev Francis. Lenda held the Ms. Olympia title for six years in a row, from 1990 to 1995.

She was featured in popular magazines like Sports Illustrated, Ebony, and Vanity Fair. Her body shape became the standard for female bodybuilders. She had broad shoulders that narrowed down to a V-shape, with strong legs to match. In 1991, she won the Ms. Olympia by a very small difference, just one point ahead of Bev Francis. After that, she won the Ms. Olympia again in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995.

First Break from Competing

Lenda lost her Ms. Olympia title to Kim Chizevsky-Nicholls in 1996. She placed second to Kim again in December 1997 and then decided to take a break from competing.

Coming Back to Win (2002–2004)

After four years away from the stage, Lenda decided to compete again. She returned to the Ms. Olympia competition and won two more titles in 2002 and 2003! Her coach during this time was Chad Nicholls.

Second Break from Competing

In 2004, Lenda finished second in the heavyweight class to Iris Kyle. After this, she retired from competing again.

Lenda Murray's Amazing Achievements

Lenda Murray has won eight Ms. Olympia titles in total. She also has two professional wins in her weight class. She is the second most successful female bodybuilder ever, right after Iris Kyle. For a few months in 2003, she was ranked number one on the IFBB Women's Bodybuilding Professional Ranking List.

Lenda also worked as a commentator for bodybuilding events on ESPN from 1993 to 1996. She was honored by being added to the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2015, she was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. In 2011, she became a member of the National Fitness Hall of Fame and received her award from Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Today, there is an annual competition called the Lenda Murray Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini Championships. It is held at Norfolk State University, and Lenda helps organize it. She is also a spokesperson for Wings of Strength and owns a company called Crystal Planet Nutrition, which sells healthy products.

Competition 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 (Heavyweight and overall)
• 1989 IFBB North American Championships - 1st (Heavyweight 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 (Heavyweight and overall)
• 2003 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st (Heavyweight and overall)
• 2004 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd (Heavyweight)

Body Measurements

• Biceps - 16 inches (41 cm)
• Chest - 39 inches (99 cm)
• Height - 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m)
• On season weight - 151+1⁄2–153 lb (68.7–69.4 kg)

Personal Life

Lenda Murray lives in Los Angeles, California with her cats. She is a Christian. She is also a grandmother and a stepmother.

Lenda has made many videos to help others with their fitness goals. She has also been a professional cheerleader and a fitness trainer for athletes and others. She even tried out to become a professional wrestler for the World Wrestling Federation in 1997. From 1999 to 2005, Lenda owned a gym in Virginia Beach, Virginia called The Fitness Firm.

TV and Movie Appearances

Lenda Murray has appeared on TV talk shows. She also did an interview for the "Killer Sally" series, which talked about how female bodybuilding became popular in the 1980s and 1990s.

In 2015, Lenda appeared in Adam Sandler's movie The Ridiculous 6. She played the mother of a character named Chico.

See also

In Spanish: Lenda Murray para niños

• Andrea Shaw