Carla Dunlap

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Carla Dunlap is a professional female bodybuilder from the United States.

Carla was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 22, 1954. She started competing in sports with gymnastics at age 10. She later competed in swimming, both speed and synchronized. Carla attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts 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.

In 1979, Carla 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 contest (she had lost the Ms. Olympia to Rachel McLish by two points in 1982). In addition to her individual accomplishments, Carla won the World Professional Mixed Pairs title in 1984 and 1988 with Tony Pearson. Carla is the only female bodybuilder to have competed in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. In January, 1999, Carla was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame.

Away from the contest stage, Carla 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 ABC to represent women's bodybuilding in the women's Superstars competition in 1984, where she finished seventh in a field of eleven competitors. Carla was a regular on ESPN's BodyShaping series from 1990 to 1995. She has also appeared as a color commentator on bodybuilding and fitness telecasts for NBC, USA, and ESPN. Carla is married (Kaan), and currently runs a private personal training business called Flexfit.

[edit] Contest history

[edit] External links

Ms. Olympia
Preceded by:
Rachel McLish		 First (1983) Succeeded by:
Cory Everson
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