Written by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian

Introduction

Just as competitive bodybuilders can come in a multitude of unique shapes and sizes the same is true when comparing the variety of backgrounds and career paths these women choose - both as bodybuilders as well as in their professional lives.
Presented here are three separate stories of three uniquely different competitors who all aspired to reach the highest possible level of physicality - given their individual pre-dispositions for muscular development. Of equal interest within this trio is the path each took in a world of uncertainty as it relates to judging, along with the stark reality of a subjectivity that is at the root of all bodybuilding competitions even to this day.
Over the years bodybuilding competitors have run the gamut of variety in how they approached the competitive stage. Legendary pioneer Lisa Lyon only competed once but brought immeasurable publicity to a new sport - while a precious few others have competed in excess of 50 times.

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