Derek Lunsford (born May 14, 1993) is an American professional bodybuilder who competes in the men's open bodybuilding division in the
IFBB Pro League. He won the
2023 Mr. Olympia
The 2023 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB Pro League professional bodybuilding competition and expo held from November 2–5, 2023, at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Florida. It was the 59th Mr. Olympia competition held. Other ...
and
212 Mr. Olympia in 2021, becoming the first winner of the competition in two divisions.
Biography
Derek Lunsford was born in
Petersburg, Indiana
Petersburg is a city within Washington Township and the county seat of Pike County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,383 at the 2010 census.
Petersburg is part of the Jasper Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Petersburg w ...
on May 14, 1993. He was an active child who participated in various sports, including soccer and high school wrestling. Lunsford's interest in bodybuilding began during his college years when he shifted from his earlier sports pursuits to weightlifting. He sought the guidance of a personal trainer, James Brown, to achieve better results.
In 2015, Derek Lunsford made his amateur bodybuilding debut at the NPC Indianapolis Championships, where he competed in the Men's Open Welterweight division and emerged as the winner. He continued to establish himself as a competitive amateur bodybuilder by winning the 2015 and 2016 NPC Junior Nationals. He earned his Pro Card in 2017 NPC USA Championships, marking his transition to professional bodybuilding.
Lunsford made his professional bodybuilding debut at the 2017 IFBB Tampa Pro, competing in the 212 lb division, and won his first professional show. His victory at the Tampa Pro earned him an invitation to the
2017 Mr. Olympia where he took 5th place. Over the years, Derek Lunsford consistently competed in the 212 division of the Mr. Olympia competition and consistently achieved top-5 placements.
In March 2021, it was announced that he started training with bodybuilding coach Hany Rambod. In October 2021, he won the
212 Mr. Olympia, overtaking the then-current winner,
Shaun Clarida.
In May 2022, Derek Lunsford appeared on IFBB Pittsburgh Pro stage as a guest poser, weighing 257 pounds. In September 2022, it was announced that he received a special invitation to compete in the open division of the 2022 Mr. Olympia. He achieved a second-place finish behind
Hadi Choopan
Hadi Choopan ( fa, هادی چوپان; also as Hādi Chupān; born September 26, 1987), known by his nickname "The Persian Wolf", is an Iranian professional bodybuilder who competes in the men's open bodybuilding division in the IFBB Pro League. ...
in his first attempt competing in the new division.
In 2023, Derek Lunsford won both the Mr. Olympia title and the People's Champion Award, becoming the first winner of the competition in two weight divisions.
Competitive history
* 2015 NPC Indianapolis Championships – 1st (Welterweight)
* 2015 NPC Junior Nationals – 1st (Welterweight)
* 2016 NPC Junior Nationals – 1st (Middleweight/Overall)
* 2016 NPC USA Championships – 1st (Middleweight)
* 2017 NPC USA Championships – 1st (Light Heavyweight)
* 2017 IFBB Tampa Pro – 1st (212
lb)
*
2017 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 5th (212 lb)
*
2018 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 2nd (212 lb)
*
2019 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 2nd (212 lb)
*
2020 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 4th (212 lb)
*
2021 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st (212 lb)
*
2022 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 2nd (Men's Open)
*
2023 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 1st (Men's Open)
References
External links
*
*
* on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunsford, Derek
1993 births
Living people
People from Petersburg, Indiana
Professional bodybuilders
American male bodybuilders