Carla Dunlap - Ms. Olympia 1983

Carla began athletic competition at the age of ten. Her first sport was gymnastics to which she soon added speed swimming. Carla then expanded her scope to include synchronized swimming, which allowed her to combine her speed swimming and gymnastic skills. (in the movie "Pumping Iron II - The Women" we see Carla doing a bit of synchronized swimming as pre-contest relaxation.) 

Carla received her diploma in Advertising Design from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts which she attended on a full scholarship. After graduation she continued to compete in synchronized swimming events, winning the gold medal in the 1977 Junior National Team Championships and a bronze medal at the inaugural National Sports Festival in 1978. She was about to retire from competitive swimming in 1979 when, at the suggestion of sports writer Steve Wennerstrom, Carla decided to enter the upcoming "Best in the World" women's bodybuilding contest. Although she had never trained for the sport, Carla placed fifth in a field of 45 entrants.

In March of 1980, Carla began to train seriously as a bodybuilder; her commitment and athletic prowess helped her win the next two National Championships. She continued her winning ways by taking the next three major professional championships, making her the Grand Slam winner of 1983. One of those titles, the Ms. Olympia is considered the Wimbledon of professional bodybuilding and a very exclusive club, having been won by only six women in it's seventeen year history. A consistent top placer, Carla then proceeded to add to her collection of titles including the 1984 and 1988 World Professional Mixed Pairs title with partner Tony Pearson, and competed in the money at the 1984 ABC "Battle of the Superstars" with the likes of Martina Navratilova and Olympic speed skater Beth Heiden. Most recently Carla sampled a new athletic challenge by competing in the first three Danskin all-female Triathlon Series races, the first totally female half-Olympic distance triathlons in the world.

Using her many years of experience teaching such diverse subjects as yoga, belly dance, interpretive dance, aerobics, guided relaxation for stress management, swimming, weight training and gym safety, Carla currently trains people with a variety of fitness goals at her own 1200 sq. foot "by appointment only" facility. By assessing personal fitness goals, nutritional and emotional needs, she can custom design a program that is "lifestyle friendly". An important aspect of the new center is the scheduled addition of the Pilates Method and licensed therapeutic massage. Why the focus on this type of programing? Carla responds "I feel that there is a need for more alternative methods of fitness, and I will continue to seek out and offer the most viable forms of alternative fitness I can find."
 

1993 Ms. International - 13th 1988 Ms. Olympia - 10th 1988 Pro World - 10th 1987 Ms. Olympia - 12th 1986 Ms. Olympia - 9th 1985 Ms. Olympia - 4th 1984 Ms. Olympia - 4th 1984 Pro World - 2nd 1984 Grand Prix Las Vegas - 1st 1983 World Cup Caesars - 1st 1983 Grand Prix Las Vegas - 1st 1983 Ms. Olympia - 1st 1983 Pro World - 1st 1982 Swedish Grand Prix - 1st 1982 Ms. Olympia - 2nd 1982 AFWB American Championships - 1st 1982 United States Championships - 2nd 1982 Night of Champions - 1st 1982 Superbowl of Bodybuilding - 1st 1981 American Championships - 1st 1981 United States Championships - 2nd 1981 World Games - 4th 1981 Pro World - 4th 1980 American Championships - 9th 1980 Bodybuilding Expo - 1st 1980 Ms. America - AAU - 1st 1980 Ms. Atlantic Shore - 2nd 1980 Eastern Cups - 1st 1979 IFBB Best in the World - 5th

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Carla Dunlap's official site