Shawn
Ray has been among very few body builders in the arena of body building
who have made their presence felt with not only with their exemplary
performance in the field but also through various endeavors to give
back the world their learning and acumen gained along years.
Ray took birth in Fullerton , California , U.S. on September
9, 1965
and formally started his career as a professional bodybuilder in 1988.
Although the title of Mr. Olympia eluded him for his entire career, he
failed only once to reach among the top five in the thirty major body
building competitions he has participated in. To add to it, Ray has
been a Mr. Olympia Finalist for 12 consecutive years and has beaten
every competitor at least once on the stage except the likes of
eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Hanley and six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian
Yates. Barring 1988, during which he occupied the 13 th position which
was his first time in the competition, he hovered among the 2 nd , 3 rd
and the 4 th places between 1991 and 2001.
His other award titles include the California Gold Cup (1983),
Mr. Teenage Los Angeles AAU (Short & Overall, 1984), Teenage
Mr. California (Middle &
Overall, 1984), Teenage Mr. Orange County (Short & Overall,
1985),
Teenage National Championships (Lightheavy & Overall, 1985),
Jr.
World Championships (Lightheavy & Overall, 1985), Mr.
California
and National Championships (Lightheavy & Overall, 1987) , Pro
Ironman Champion (1990) and Arnold Classic Champion (1991)
Shawn also holds the credit of being featured in myriad video
documentaries showcasing his contribution in Lifestyles of the Fit
& Famous (Biopic), Final Countdown (Contest Prep for Olympia
1998)
and Inside & Out - Behind the Muscle, which is a glimpse at his
daily life on the Pro Circuit. Some of his other works which have
gained immense popularity include ‘ To The Extreme' which is a Training
Video, Best of Shawn Ray which throws light on historical nuances of
Shawn Ray and ‘ Fitness After 40' which is his biographical account
depicting Shawn's life after his competitive phase.
He also has a special mention in The New Encyclopedia of
Modern Bodybuilding authored by Bill Dobbins and Arnold Schwarzenegger
.
Shwan himself, has written a book about how to become a bodybuilder,
named The Shawn Ray Way for budding aspirants in the field . A fact
that he has appeared on Flex Magazine Covers more than any other body
builder in the history of body building is proof strong enough of his
admiration and recognition by the masses.
Shawn has also successfully co-hosted a Flex Magazine Workout
on
ESPN for a good 5 years along with other Bodybuilding Competitions for
ESPN for 8 years. He also holds the honor of being the Co-Master of
Ceremonies for Mr. Olympia Competitions held in Las Vegas , Nevada in
2006 and 2007.
Shawn's height is 5'7” and his in-season weight is 205-210 lbs
where
as off-season weight includes 225-240 lbs. He is most widely called
‘The Giant Killer' Giant Killer , for
his capacity loose up to 40 to 50 lbs and 4-5" or two of his most
dynamic competitors.
His biggest contribution so far has been the creation of the
Only
Charity Fundraiser for Professional Bodybuilding which has helped raise
and donate over $55,000.00 to Children's Hospital of Orange County in
the last two years.
Finally , this is to realize that there is no limit to what we
can
give back to the world by doing our own bit for our respective fields.
Shawn Ray is such example!
Bodybuilding titles
1983 California Gold Cup
1984 Mr. Teenage Los Angeles AAU (Short & Overall)
1984 Teenage Mr. California (Middle & Overall)
1985 Teenage Mr. Orange County (Short & Overall)
1985 Teenage National Championships (Lightheavy &
Overall)
1985 Jr. World Championships (Lightheavy & Overall)
1987 Mr. California (Lightheavy & Overall)
1987 National Championships (Lightheavy & Overall)
1990 Pro Ironman Champion
1991 Arnold Classic Champion
Mr. Olympia Contest History
1988 13th Place
1990 3rd Place
1991 5th Place
1992 4th Place
1993 3rd Place
1994 2nd Place
1995 4th Place
1996 2nd Place
1997 3rd Place
1998 5th Place
1999 5th Place
2000 4th Place
2001 4th Place