Black History Spotlight for February 28,2009-Kenyatta Parham

Kenyatta Parham is a up-and-coming figure competitor from North Carolina that could very well be a pro competitor within the next couple of years. In 2007, she placed second in the Elite Muscle Classic in North Carolina. Last year, she placed fifth at the NPC Jr. USA and competed in the NPC USAs. She will be looking to attain her pro card once again in 2009. In the meantime, she is doing one heck of a job being one of the moderators at Siouxcountry as KP Diva. So when you get the chance, stop by and say hi. Big things are in her future, no doubt.

You can also check her out at her MySpace page.

Well...that's it. With thie being the end of February, Kenyatta concludes the Black History Spotlights. for the FitGems Nation blog/website. I like to thank each and everyone of you that took a little time everyday to check this historical feature out. I'm aware that I didn't get every single black competitor on here, and I apoligize for that. However, just because you were not on the list doesn't mean that you're not important. You are doing something most people can't do; dedicate your lives to live healther lives and displaying that in physique contests. All of you (black, white, red, yellow, and everyone in between) should be commended for everything you've done and are doing for this sport.

Have a great weekend everyone! Thanks for joining me on this special look at Black History in the world of the female physique. :-)

To check all of them out again, click here to view the entire list.

Black History Spotlight for February 27, 2009-Dre' Dillard

Dre' Dillard is a no nonsense woman when it comes to competition and training clients in the Dallas area. For her, bodybuilding is a way of life. Like most that compete in this sport, she feels that bodybuilding is something that you have to be absolutely in love with in order to do well. There's no "maybe I like it, maybe I don't" attitude about the sport; either you love it or you don't. While she is a trainer, she also holds a Masters Degree in Management, which says a lot about her. She felt like the corporate America scene wasn't in her best interests, so she decided to do competitions and personal training, which has been very good to her so far.

For more on Dre', click here.

Side note: I don't think she's related to rapper Dr. Dre. LOL...

Black History Spotlight for February 26, 2009-Saryn Muldrow

I'm not gonna front...I just about forgot about this competitor, and if it wasn't for my man AirHarp (go to Siouxcountry and find his posts. He's awesome), I would have completely forgot about her. Thanks man!



Saryn Muldrow is one of the top fitness competitors of all time. She was born in LA in 1964 and has been living in Denmark since age 11. She competed in the bodybuilding and fitness industry for an unbelievable 19 years. During that time, she would go on to win the the Danish, European, and World championships and the Miss universe titles. However, her claim to fame was when she won the Miss Fitness Olympia title in 1996. She called it a career in 1999 after breaking her arm and never regaining the strength needed to compete to the best of her ability. She is now a highly-skilled painter, which was something she started to take seriously in 2002. Her paintings are truly amazing, much like her career. I bet you she will wind up on the IFBB Hall of Fame in a very short amount of time.

For more on the legendary Saryn, click here to view her official website translated in English. For those that want to see her website in her native language, click here.

Black History Spotlight for February 25, 2009-Alexis Ellis

Alexis Ellis is a New Yorker-turned-Californian born of Dominican decent. Due to her heritage, she enjoys love, life, among everything else. Before her fitness/figure days, she was a heartbeat away from making her own history by becoming "Honor Recruit" in the Los Angeles Sheriff Dept, something no other female at that time was able to get. However, during the 10th week of training, she would tear her calf muscle and her shin would shatter her Tibia. She would return the following week to attempt to finish, but the pain was too much, and thus her dream of becoming Sheriff Deputy came to an end. She then focused on improving her health and physique and became a figure competitor. She ended up earning a pro card at the 2005 NPC Nationals, and competed with the pros a year later at the California Pro show. She is also Co-Owner of Gourmet Fitness Food, a healthy food delivery service, alongside her husband. I'm unaware of hercompetition plans as of now, but one wouldn't count Alexis out of the spotlight just yet.

For more on Alexis, go to her website at http://www.alexisellis.com.

Black History Spotlight for February 24, 2009-Monique Hayes

Bio from HDPhysiques:

Monique Hayes is a multi-talented competitor. She earned a scholarship to The Ohio State University. where she became one of the best triple jumpers in the country. She now resides in Atlanta, GA and is a fitness trainer, motivator, bodybuilder and world record power-lifter. She is one of the ATL's premier female fitness professionals. She helps prepare clients for bodybuilding and fitness shows as well as personal training and health and fitness regimens. She enjoys the challenge of creating effective workout routines that fit in with a person's unique lifestyle, schedule, and needs. In addition to what she does, she is also a mother, which according to her is The most important title that she could hold in life.

You can read and check out more of Monique here.

Black History Spotlight for February 23, 2009-Cassandra Floyd

Believe it or not, Cassandra Floyd has been competing for quite some time now. Her first competition was in 1989, where she competed in the NPC Midsouth Bodybuilding contest. She entered her first national show in 1991, where she competed in the Jr. USAs. She placed thrid in the lightweight division. At that time, she felt like she was too small to compete with the big girls, so she started to compete in different divisions, such as the NGA (National Gym Association) and the WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation). She would win titles from those divisions before returning to the NPC after not being recognized as a top bodybuilder or model. All the hard work would pay off in 2008, as she earned her IFBB pro card, and will now be competing with the best the world has to offer.

For more on Cassandra, go to http://www.cassandrafloyd.com. (WARNING: This site is intended for adults ONLY!)

Black History Spotlight for February 22, 2009-Carrie Ann Simmons

Carrie Ann Simmons is an NPC female bodybuilder. She began weight training when she was about to graduate from college. Before college, she wasn't the sporty type. She was more into the arts, especially playing the violin and saxophone. She began getting physical during her college days, where she took up kickboxing. She entered the gym with encouragement from a friend, and from that point on, she hasn't looked back. She competed in fitness for a bit, but now she's competing in bodybuilding in hopes of getting a pro card some day.

For more on Carrie, go to her website at http://www.carrie-simmons.com/.

Black History Spotlight for February 21, 2009-MJ Fox

MJ Fox has been competitng for quite a while now, with her winning her pro card in 2008. She entered the national competitions in 2008, competitng in the Jr Nationals, Jr USAs, and Team Universe, where she would end up earning her ticket to compete in the IFBB. She was planning on doing the Arnold Amateur, but obviously with her being a pro now, that's off the cards. She will instead be focusing on the Jacksonville Pro, which will mark her pro debut.

For more on MJ, check out her BodySpace profile and MySpace page. I'm not aware of her having an official website as of yet.

Black History Spotlight for February 20, 2009-Heather Foster

Heather Foster hails from the island of Jamacia, mon (Sorry, I couldn't resist, LOL.). She was born in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies and was someone who wasn't a "girly-girl", meaning that she would like to play sports as opposed to being in the Girl Scouts. Like many competitors, she was always an active person, especially in high school and college. Heather has been competing for nearly two decades, turning pro at the 2000 NPC Nationals in New York. In addition to competitng, she does her own music arrangements, voice-overs, choreography, training, and contest preparation for regional, national and professional bodybuilders as well as being a regional judge. She want to continue all of that, as well as win a Ms. Olympia title, as well as be a influental part in bring respect back to women's bodybuilding.

Her official website is not working as of now, but you see read more of her bio here.

Black History Spotlight for February 19, 2009-Alicia Marie

Alicia Marie has made more mainstream headlines than most IFBB pro competitors have their entier careers, and she's not competed in a pro contest yet! She has appeared in many television shows and print ads, including being on the MTV show MADE, HBO's Chat Zone”, Jergens Firming Body Lotion “You Bet Your Bottom” national ad campaign, Curel Body lotion national advertisements, and Eggbeaters “0% Fat” national campaign, among other things. She is also the first Ms. Muscle & Fitness Magazine in history, as well as becoming an IFBB pro a few months ago. Look for Alice to be around for quite some time, either on stage, on print, or on your television screens.

For more on Alicia, go to her website at http://www.aliciamarie.com/.

Black History Spotlight for February 18, 2009-Kim Perez

Kim Perez is one HUGE female bodybuilder. Known for her massive size, she has gained quite a following in such a short amount of time. Minus her first (and so far only) Arnold Classic in 2007, she had placed in the top ten in each of her pro contest, and in the top three in her contest last year. Many are saying that she could be a top contender for the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia titles one day. With her recent streak of luck, she just might find herself with the big girls sooner rather than later.

I'm unaware of Kim having an official website, but she does have a profile at AMG-Lite which is a cool read: http://www.amg-lite.com/kim_perez/

Black History Spotlight for February 17, 2009-Rosalind Vanterpool

Hailing from the beautiful island of Barbados, Rosalind Vanterpool is a IFBB fitness and figure competitor. During her amateur competition days, she won the Ms. Fitness Barbados title for a record six times between 1999 and 2005. She became an IFBB pro when she won the Ms. Fitness CAC Short class in 2005. She competed in many figure and fitness competitions in the last couple of years, as well as competed in the Atlantic City Pro Masters Figure, the first IFBB pro masters figure contest in history.

Coming soon: her website...http://rvanterpool.com/

FitGems Nation/HDPhysiques Partnership

Remember when I said that something BIG was coming?

http://fitgems.blogspot.com/2008/10/something-big-is-coming.html

It is finally here!

I would like to announce that I've partnered up with HDPhysiques to head up their new blog! I consider it an honor that one of the leading paysites would asked me to do this. I will do my best to honor the site and help them improve as much as I can.

Here's the link to the official HDPhysiques blog:
http://hdphysiques.blogspot.com

Hope you enjoy this blog like you enjoy this blog..and also check out the HDPhysiques sites as well!!!

Black History Spotlight for February 16, 2009-Bethany Gainey

Bethany Gainey is a top IFBB fitness pro from Charlotte, North Carolina, who's been competing for three years as a pro (this year will be her fourth year), earning her pro card by winning the 2005 Team Universe.She's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, where she has trained clients in Wake Forest University, The University of NC at Charlotte, Georgia State and Troy University. Bethany has trained football, men's and women's basketball, softball, golf, tennis and track teams. Look for "B" to continure to make strides in the fitness industry on stage as well as off stage.

For more on Bethany, go to http://www.bethanygainey.com.

Black History Spotlight for February 15, 2009-Nicole Duncan

Nicole is one of the top multi-tasking individuals in the IFBB today. From the ATL (that's Atlanta, Georgia for those that don't know),besides being an IFBB fitness pro, she's a Business Owner/ Entrepreneur, Personal Trainer, Choreographer, and currently Director of Cheer/Dance for the NAFL Georigia Mustangs. She was also a cheerleader for the Atlanta Falcons, but has left that in order to focus on competing in the IFBB. Things didn't come easy for her, as she was dealing with uterine fibrosis. She took some time to have tumors surgically removed. Now healther than ever, she is focus on being a top fitness pro, as well as run her own company called Fit Nic. Inc, which specializes in creating fitness programs, workshops and events for cheerleaders, dancers and of course fitness/figure competitors. She hopes to one day be a TV fitness icon. With her profession and advances so far, the sky's the limit for what she can do in the fitness industry.

For more on Nicole, go to her website at http://www.fitnicole.com/.

Black History Spotlight for February 14, 2009-Brenda Marie Smith

Brenda Marie Smith has been a pro for only two years now, but she has made quite a name for herself in a short amount of time. In 2007, she won her pro card at the NPC Jr. Nationals, and made her pro debut at the Kentucky Pro and placed third, qualifying her for the 2008 Olympia. She followed that up with a great showing in 2008, participating in her first of hopefully many Olympias and Arnold Classics. She ended 2008 on a high note with a win at the Kentucky Pro, securing her a spot in this year's Olympia. With her stream of success so far, there's no telling what kind of career she will have when it's all said and done.

For more on Brenda, go to her website at http://www.brendasmithfitness.com/.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Here's hoping every couple had a great Valentine's day. And for those who are single, hope you shared your love with the people in your life that you're closest to (family, friends, etc.) Enjoy the rest of your Valentine's weekend!

Black History Spotlight for February 13, 2009-Laura Bailey

Laura Bailey is no stranger to sports, as she's been an athlete practically since birth, participated in track/cross country, volleyball, gymnastics, soccer, and dance in high school and college. After coaching track in 2004, she joined 24Hr. Fitness in Houston, Texas to get back in shape, saw the physiques that her trainer Jolene Carter had worked with. She was inspired by her physique, and Jolene introduced me to the world of figure competitions, and she hasn't looked back since. She won the INBA Natural Figure Olympia title on November 8, 2008 in San Fransisco, and will begin her 2009 season in a few weeks at the Arnold Amateur.

She doesn't have a official website yet, but if you want to know more about Laura, go to http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/jumper11/

Black History Spotlight for February 12, 2009-Natalie Benson

Natalie Benson has some of the best genetics in figure today, and has participated in both the Arnold and the Olympia. With her experience as a hair stylist, she has studied hair and makeup to know what works and what doesn't. In an interview she did with Jonathon L. of Fitness Models Portal, she mentioned that her trademark short hair resembles who she is as a person, which is a confident woman with an edge about herself. No doubt she will continue to make a name for herself as her career progresses.

She does have a official website (http://www.nataliebenson.com/), but it's not open just yet. When it opens, I'll try to let you all know.

AG's Return to be announce this weekend?!

This weekend will be Valentine's Weekend, but according to the Comic Book Resources website, an announcement will be made by Monday, regarding the future of American Gladiators. Yep, apparently, it's not dead after all.

I'll be honest with you; after a couple of seasons, I thought it was down for the count, cause let's face it; the negatives were bigger than the positives, and I'm a optimistic person.

The announcement is set to take place this Sunday at the The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention. Here's the exact announcement from the Comic Book Resouces website:

AMERICAN GLADIATORS Cast Members MAYHEM (William Romeo), STEEL (Erin Toughill), FURY (Jamie Kovac), HELGA (Robin Coleman), LASER (JIm Starr), and TOA (Tanoai Reed) appear to sign autographs from 12:00 P.M.-3:00 P.M. There is no charge if you bring one item for them to sign, but the cast will have a SPECIAL AMERICAN GLADIATORS POSTER available for purchase that they will all sign together. Though AMERICAN GLADIATORS will no longer be seen on NBC-TV, an announcement will be made at the Convention of where new episodes will air. New Cast Members from the new season of AMERICAN GLADIATORS will also appear.

I'll be keeping an eye on this story over the weekend and will see where this goes from here.

Black History Spotlight for February 11, 2009-Rosemary Jennings

Rosemary Jennings was born in the Island of Barbados, West Indies where she received and earned a majority of her education. She has been in women's bodybuilding since 1997. She became a pro in 2003 and has been a mainstay at the Arnold and Olympia stages ever since her pro debut. On AMG-Lite, she wants to win the Miss Olympia at least once, as well as to be fluent in both French and Spanish.

For more on Rosemary, go to http://www.rosemarycheesemanjennings.com/index.html

Black History Spotlight for February 10, 2009-Drexel Long

If you're a member of Feminine Bodybuilding or Siouxcountry, then you probably know a thing or two about Drexel Long, better known on the popular message boards as MsGuns. Drexel is a woman who has competed in many divisions, and has done well in all of them. In the NPC, she competed in the 2004 NPC Central Tx Cup, 2004 NPC John Sherman Classic, and 2005 NPC Jr. Nationals. After 2005, she entered natural drug-free competitions in the International Natuarl Bodybuilding Federation, among others. Look for her to continue her dominance and become a top name in the drug-free federations for years to come.

For more on Drexel (aka MsGuns), check out her website at http://officialflexwithdrex.com.

Also, you can vote for her in this month's World Physique contest as well. Go to http://worldphysique.com/fmcon5dec.html.

Black History Spotlight for February 9, 2009-Carla Dunlap

Carla Dunlap has been regarded as the woman that broke the gender barrier when it came to women competitng in what was seemingly just a men's sport. She started to compete in the late 1970s and went on to compete in the 1980s and 1990s, winning a Ms. Olympia title in the process, and becoming the only woman to compete in the 1970s, 80s, AND 90s. After her final competiton in 1993, she went on to be a part of ESPN's Bodyshaping, was a part of the movie "Pumping Iron II-The Women", among other things. She now operates her own gym (FLEXFIT in Massachusetts), and is also Carla is a certified Nutrition Counselor as well as a certified Pilates Instructor.

For more on Carla, go to her website at http://www.carladunlap.com/.

Black History Spotlight for February 8, 2009-Lenda Murray

Lenda Murray is among the greatest female bodybuilders to ever live. I'm not saying this because she's black. I'm saying this for the simple fact that she has one EIGHT Ms. Olympia titles. No one (male or female) has won that many Ms. Olympia titles. It seemed like she was born to make history. During her high school and college years, she became a record-holding sprinter and varsity cheerleader. While attending Western Michigan, in 1982, Lenda became the second black homecoming queen in the university's history. She then went on to compete in bodybuilding in 1985, and as the old saying goes, the rest is history.

I couldn't find an official website for Lenda, but I did find a Wikipedia page on her, which is actually legit, believe it or not. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenda_Murray for more information on her.

Black History Spotlight for February 7, 2009-Iris Kyle

There may not be another female bodybuilder out there like Iris Kyle. For the last half-decade, she has practically dominated every single contest she has entered, capturing four Ms. International and four Ms. Olympia titles in the process. In 2008, she suffered a shocking and controversal defeat in the Ms. International, but came back strong and easily captured her fourth Ms. Olympia title. In the rate she's going, she could shatter many records before it's all said and done and join the elite competitors such as Cory Everson, Rachel McLish, and Lenda Murray (the winningist Ms. Olympia so far with EIGHT championships). In today's world of female bodybuilding, Iris is in a class all her own.

For more on Iris, go to http://www.iriskyle.com/

Black History Spotlight for February 6, 2009-Klaudia Kinska

For today's Black History spotlight, I decided to go a little international for this one. Klaudia Kinska has been regarded as one of the best European fitness competitors of all time.was destined to make a name for herself in the fitness division at practically birth. By the tender age of 10, she was enrolled in a Sports school in her home of S. After just 3 years, she would win the gold in the Country Championships in addition to being the top winner at the European Cup 1 year later. She would continue to win title after title and in 1996 she was nominated for the Olympic Games. Soon after she would make her break into Fitness and took 4th in her first show and from there she would go on to win several major titles. She would turn pro in 2000 by taking the Overall title at the World Fitness Championships. From there Klaudia Kinska would begin to forge a very successful career in the IFBB and fitness industry. in 2004, she decided to finish her career at the Fitness Olympia. She is now a cosmetician.

For more on Klaudia, go to http://www.klaudiakinska.sk/old/

Black History Spotlight for February 5, 2009-Dayana Cadeau

Dayana Cadeau is among of the top bodybuilders in the world today. Over the last few years, she has come pretty close to winning both the Ms. International and Ms. Olympia championships. When women's bodybuilding was divided into two weight classes, she would dominate the lightweight division with ease, but would come a little short when an overall champion was to be decided. Now with just one class in the women's division, Dayana wants to win a top overall title before she calls it quits. 2009 could be her year.

For more on Dayana, go to http://www.dayana-cadeau.com.

FitGems Nation EXCLUSIVE Pre-Arnold Interview with Jenny Hendershott

We are getting closer and closer to the Arnold, and those competing in this major event are hard at work hoping to make a statement on the first big female competition of 2009. I was fortunate and honored to interview the reigning Fitness Olympia champion and 2005 Fitness International champion, Jenny Hendershott!

http://www.fitgemsnation.net/page/fitgems-nation-exclusive

Black History Spotlight for February 4, 2009-Stacy Simons

Stacy Simons has been regarded as an elite fitness competitor for quite some time. To no surprise, she's was regarded as a sports fanatic,competing in track, softball, soccer, cheerleading, field hockey, and one and three meter springboard diving. She has been a pro competitor for over a decade now, and has won a few contests and competed in many Fitness Internationals. With the exeption of 2006, she has competed in every Fitness Olympia since 1998. With her crazy routines, she has created quite a fanbase, and will continue to do so long after her competition days are done.

For more on Stacy, check out her website at http://www.stacysimons.com/.

Black History Spotlight for February 3, 2009-Laura Creavalle

Laura Creavelle is considered to be the best female bodybuilder to NEVER win the Olympia. Her credentials are the stuff of legend. She became a pro in 1988, when she won the 1988 IFBB World Amateur Championships in Puerto Rico. A mere six weeks later (that is not a typo, folks), she placed 11th in her pro debut at the Ms. Olympia competition. She would go on to compete in 12 more Olympias before retiring in 2002. To my knowledge, no other female has competed in that many Olympias in a row, which says a lot about Laura. She was also a three-time Ms. International, winning the prestique title in 1990, and again in back-to-back successions (1994-95). She is now enjoying retirement from competition, but still trains three times a week, looking like she is "two years" from competing, according to the IFBB website.

For more on Laura, go to her website at http://www.lauracreavalle.com/.

American Gladiators...Not Dead Yet?

I've read that NBC's American Gladiators was dead and buried. However, I checked my email a few days ago, and from the mouth of one of the Gladiators (I will not reveal the name at this time), a possible season three could actually be happening.

So that brings me to the question...It is coming back or not?!?! AHHHH!!!!!

I won't go into any more detail than that because, quite frankly, I'm just a lost as a Democrat in a Republican convention. If you know something about it, feel free to leave a comment about it (if you can, that is).

The question for the month is...Would YOU want to see American Gladiators back? The choices are

• Yes
• Yes, with some serious modifications
• No, I'll stick with the ESPN Classic reruns
• I don't know
• What's American Gladiators?

Last month's question was, Which is the bigger show to you? The Olympia beat the Arnold, with 69% choosing the Olympia and 30% choosing the Arnold.

Black History Spotlight for February 2, 2009-Latisha Wilder

Latisha Wilder has been considered one of the best to not (as of yet) win either the Arnold or Olympia, or any figure competition for that matter. She had all the tools to be a top figure competitor: looks, a well-balanced physique, and a good attitude on her shoulders. The Arnold has been some of her best showings, and not just because she's in front of her home crowd either. Her best placing to date was when she placed second in the 2007 Palm Beach Pro Figure. One can only hope that 2009 will bring great things in Latisha's future. If she can nail that one big win, she could go down in history as one of the top black competitors in IFBB history.

For more on Latisha, go to http://www.latishawilder.com.