Carla Dunlap-Kaan (born October 22, 1954) is a professional

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female bodybuilding Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s, when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.

champion.

Early life and education

Dunlap was born in 1954, in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...

at age 10. She later competed in swimming, both speed and synchronized. Dunlap attended the

Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art (NSFIA) was a city-run vocational and art school in Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 1882 as the Evening Drawing School, its name was changed in 1909 to the Fawcett School of Industrial Arts, and changed agai ...

on a full scholarship, earning a degree in Advertising Design. She won the gold medal in synchronized swimming in the 1977 Junior National Team Championships, and a bronze medal at the inaugural National Sports Festival in 1978.

Bodybuilding career

In 1979, Dunlap decided to enter the "Best in the World" bodybuilding contest at the suggestion of Steve Wennerstrom. She had never trained for bodybuilding, but still placed fifth among 45 entrants. She started training seriously for bodybuilding the following March, and was soon competing successfully in top level amateur contests. She won the NPC Nationals in 1981, and 1982. Her most successful year of competition was 1983 when she won three pro shows, including the

Ms. Olympia The IFBB Ms. Olympia is both the highest ranking professional female bodybuilding competition and the title of the winner of the competition. It was first organized in 1980, and was held as part of the Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance ...

contest (she had lost the Ms. Olympia to Rachel McLish by two points in 1982). In addition to her individual accomplishments, Dunlap won the World Professional Mixed Pairs title in 1984 and 1988 with Tony Pearson. Dunlap is the only female bodybuilder to have competed in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. In January 1999, Dunlap was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame. In June 2009, she was inducted in to the AOBS Hall Of Fame (Association of Oldetime Barbell and Strongmen) Away from the contest stage, Dunlap appeared in the bodybuilding documentaries ''Women Of Iron'' (1984, with fellow competitor Deborah Diana) and '' Pumping Iron II: The Women'' (1985). She was selected by

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to represent women's bodybuilding in the women's ''

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'' competition in 1984, where she finished seventh in a field of eleven competitors. Dunlap was a regular on

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's ''

BodyShaping ''BodyShaping'' is an American fitness and exercise television series that has shown on ESPN, with segments on weight training, cardiovascular exercise, stretching and nutrition. It was in production from 1988 to 1998, and has been in reruns ever ...

'' series from 1990 to 1995. She has also appeared as a color commentator on bodybuilding and fitness telecasts for NBC,

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, and

Contest history

*1979 IFBB Best In The World - 5th *1980 AAU Ms. America #1 - 1st *1980 Eastern Cup - 1st *1980 Ms. Atlantic Shore - 2nd *1980 Bodybuilding Expo I - 1st *1980 NPC USA Championship - 9th *1980 NPC Nationals - 3rd *1981 World Games I - 4th (MW) *1981 NPC USA Championship - 2nd (HW) *1981 NPC Nationals - 1st (HW and Overall) *1981 Pro World Championship - 4th *1981 Night of Champions - 1st *1982 Super Bowl of Bodybuilding I - 1st *1982 AFWB American Championships - 1st (HW and Overall) *1982 Swedish Grand Prix - 1st *1982 NPC USA Championship - 2nd (HW) *1982 NPC Nationals - 1st (HW and Overall) *1982 IFBB

- 2nd *1982 Pro World Championship - 1st *1983 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st *1983 IFBB Caesars World Cup (Grand Prix Las Vegas) - 1st *1984 Pro World Championship - 2nd *1984 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 4th *1985 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 4th *1986 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 9th *1987 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 12th *1988 Pro World Championship - 10th *1988 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 9th (originally 10th) *1993

Ms. International The Ms. International female bodybuilding contest was considered to be the second-most prestigious competition for female bodybuilders (second only to the Ms. Olympia competition), from its inception in 1986 through 2013. It was first held in 1 ...

- 13th

References

External links

Official web site
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, - , width = 30% align = center , Preceded by:
Rachel McLish , width = 40% align = center , First (1983) , width = 30% align = center , Succeeded by:
Cory Everson {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunlap-Kaan, Carla 1954 births Living people Professional bodybuilders African-American female bodybuilders 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American women