Thursday, 21 March 2013
PIONEERING female bodybuilder and IFBB Pro Denise Gerard has died at the age of just 43.
The spectacularly muscled bodybuilder counted the NPC Nationals and Jan Tana among her clutch of major awards in female bodybuilding.
The 5ft 1ins lightweight, only started training in 1989, shortly after graduating from Rhode Island College where she studied Fine Arts.
The very next year she won her first show - the 1990 Virginia State Lightweight category - and there was no looking back.
Her immense drive and focus helped her go on to win many more titles including the NPC Nationals where she took the Lightweight Class in 1998 and the IFBB Jan Tana Classic in 2000 where she dominated the same class.
With door-wide shoulders, fabulous back, tiny waist and superb conditioning Denise was not afraid to push the boundaries of the sport. Her biceps were among the best in the sport.
Denise Gerard took her initial female bodybuilding inspiration from the muscled superheroes and superheroines she read as a child.
She said: “I always drew and idolized the comic book characters as a child and imagined myself with big muscles.”
Denise also loved strength competitions and would benchpress 240lbs, more than twice her 119lbs off-season weight.
She loved life and on her website flexdee.com she cites her motto as: “Get the most out of every minute- Give 100% of yourself and you can achieve anything!”
Close friend and fellow bodybuilder Dawn Whitham was devastated at her loss and said on her Facebook page: “My only best friend IFBB pro Denise Gerard passed... My best friend thru life, we were "married" since the 1980s. The only person on the entire world i connected with. We shared it ALL for 25 years...Im unbeliebably sad and so alone in the world now. I love you Denise, miss you. Xxooo Dawn”
Denise Gerard Bodybuilding Titles:
IFBB 2004 So/West USA Cup- Fourth Place Ltwt. Div.
IFBB 2002 So/West USA Cup- Second Place Ltwt. Div.
IFBB 2000 Jan Tana Classic- First Place Ltwt. Div.
NPC 98 Nationals- First Place Ltwt. Div.
NPC 97 Nationals- Second Place Ltwt. Div.
NPC 95 Jr.Nationals- Fifth Place Ltwt. Div.
NPC 94 Washington Grand Prix- Overall Champion
NPC 93 Virginia State- Overall Champion
PIONEERING female bodybuilder and IFBB Pro Denise Gerard has died at the age of just 43.
The spectacularly muscled bodybuilder counted the NPC Nationals and Jan Tana among her clutch of major awards in female bodybuilding.
The 5ft 1ins lightweight, only started training in 1989, shortly after graduating from Rhode Island College where she studied Fine Arts.
The very next year she won her first show - the 1990 Virginia State Lightweight category - and there was no looking back.
Her immense drive and focus helped her go on to win many more titles including the NPC Nationals where she took the Lightweight Class in 1998 and the IFBB Jan Tana Classic in 2000 where she dominated the same class.
With door-wide shoulders, fabulous back, tiny waist and superb conditioning Denise was not afraid to push the boundaries of the sport. Her biceps were among the best in the sport.
Denise Gerard took her initial female bodybuilding inspiration from the muscled superheroes and superheroines she read as a child.
She said: “I always drew and idolized the comic book characters as a child and imagined myself with big muscles.”
Denise also loved strength competitions and would benchpress 240lbs, more than twice her 119lbs off-season weight.
She loved life and on her website flexdee.com she cites her motto as: “Get the most out of every minute- Give 100% of yourself and you can achieve anything!”
Close friend and fellow bodybuilder Dawn Whitham was devastated at her loss and said on her Facebook page: “My only best friend IFBB pro Denise Gerard passed... My best friend thru life, we were "married" since the 1980s. The only person on the entire world i connected with. We shared it ALL for 25 years...Im unbeliebably sad and so alone in the world now. I love you Denise, miss you. Xxooo Dawn”
Denise Gerard Bodybuilding Titles:
IFBB 2004 So/West USA Cup- Fourth Place Ltwt. Div.
IFBB 2002 So/West USA Cup- Second Place Ltwt. Div.
IFBB 2000 Jan Tana Classic- First Place Ltwt. Div.
NPC 98 Nationals- First Place Ltwt. Div.
NPC 97 Nationals- Second Place Ltwt. Div.
NPC 95 Jr.Nationals- Fifth Place Ltwt. Div.
NPC 94 Washington Grand Prix- Overall Champion
NPC 93 Virginia State- Overall Champion
Comment