Shawn Ray

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!