The world of bodybuilding h
as been around for years. Legends have been made and dreams have been fulfilled. This is a sport that when fans are asked to name who is their favorite bodybuilder or who is well known to them, it never fails that a male is named. Yet, in the mix of all the men, there were a few brave and legendary female bodybuilders who held their own and created a path for women today who love the sport just as much as they did. These women proved that they belonged in this sport just as much as the men did. Through hard work, dedication and heart, they inspired women to follow in their path and pursue their dreams and aspirations in what was once a predominantly male sport, as well as prove that muscle is attractive on a female.
One legendary female bodybuilder, who competed in the peak era of the classic male physique, was Dona Oliveira. She, as well as Tonya Knight, Bev Francis and Cory Everson lead the way with no regrets and no turning back.
Born September 8, 1960, former professional American female bodybuilder, Dona Oliveira, rose to success as she competed from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. Like many of the women before her, Dona first started exercising and getting into shape because she wanted to look and feel better. At a young age she joined a Nautilus gym and trained for twenty minutes, three times a week as she had been instructed.
She had no desire to develop the type of body that female bodybuilders of her time had… or to even compete. At that time, Dona felt that the developed physiques of female bodybuilders were "too much" for her. Eventually she became frustrated with her exercise routines. She liked the pump of lifting the weights, but was not seeing enough change. After picking up and reading some bodybuilding magazines, Dona was able to see top women bodybuilders such as Rachel McLish and Mary Roberts and knew that she wanted more of the shape and muscle tone she saw in the photos of those magazines.
Dona began training with Saul Friedman. He was a power lifter friend and had a gym in his basement. It was here that Dona started to see results. Saul also set a goal for her to compete in a local bodybuilding contest, even though Dona was not sure if she would be able to meet the expectation. Four months after she started training with heavy weights, Oliveira entered her first bodybuilding show and placed second. Now Dona had the drive to compete some more. The following year she won several shows and made the switch to the NPC on the advice of some friends. She continued to win shows and within two years became an IFBB Pro.
Her highest achievements in amateur competition were winning the 1984 East Coast Championships, the 1985 NPC USA Championship, and NPC World Games in London, England. As a professional, she won the 1988 IFBB Pro World Championships in Nice, France, and placed 6th at the IFBB Ms. Olympia the same year (originally she placed 7th, but was later awarded 6th place when Tonya Knight was disqualified).
Oliveira's training consisted of simple compound movements with mostly free weights with few cable and machine exercises. She focused on a combination of powerlifting exercises with bodybuilding exercises, and during her competitive days she typically trained on a three-day split routine (three days on, one day off). In the off-season, she would train up to three body parts per training session. During the contest season she would switch to a four-day split routine (four days on, one day off) to focus on her weak points, and she would only train one or two body parts.
Oliveira was a strong believer in the i
dea that the psychological aspect of bodybuilding was just as important as the physical aspect of it – goal setting was essential in order to develop her overall physique.
When all was said and done and the want to continue competing had died down for Oliveira, she decided to take a break from it all and retire. What Oliveira has done for the female bodybuilding industry will never be forgotten. She paved a path with many great ladies during a time when it was extremely difficult to carve a niche among the men. She showed that women could compete and remain feminine. After 25 years away from the competition scene and lifestyle, Dona Oliveira has decided to come out of retirement and compete again.
I had the absolute honor to interview Ms. Oliveira and get the exclusive on her comeback.
What has competing meant to you?
The dictionary defines competition as, “A test of skill or ability”. Competing means that I’m defining myself not by superficial standards but as a professional who wants to offer my best effort(s) to the sport that has been a major part of my life. I have always been a natural competitor, testing my abilities as a student, in business or as a bodybuilder. The challenge of overcoming obstacles and accomplishing a goal has and always will be the driving force in most everything I do.
As a bodybuilder in the 1980’s, competing taught me some of the most important and influential lessons and values in my life. I learned self -discipline, control and patience. It reinforced the fact that we all have limitless potential. I compete to win but quickly learned to accept failures as much as basking in success. Winning is not just about first and overall but achieving a goal, successfully, within ourselves. With that comes the understanding that perfection does not exist but we continue to always strive for personal excellence.
As a young bodybuilder, I quickly realized how lonely this sport could be. We have our family and friends to lend support, a training partner to push one more rep or a coach who guides us through our diet, posing and final touches. I knew that very few people truly understood what we put ourselves through preparing for a competition. It is a mind game, an emotional roller coaster testing your self-confidence, self-reliance and strength, mentally and physically. As a student, I competed against myself to strive for excellence. In the gym, I train for quality and distinction. Striving for that one last rep that separates those who are driven to win.
It is human nature to be curious about your competition. Whether it is Physique, Figure, Fitness or Bodybuilding, it is an individual sport. There are no teammates to pull you through for that extra point. On stage, I am competing against myself. I cannot control the direction or have influence over other competitors. I can only bring my best package to the stage. It is now up to others to determine if I have what the sport is looking for.
I want to share a short example of how competing influenced and changed my life. After retiring from competitive bodybuilding in 1990, I decided that it was a good time to pursue a goal that I had desired prior to my bodybuilding career. I had to put it on hold since bodybuilding had taken over my time and life. I applied to Graduate School for a seat in their Master’s program for Nurse Anesthesiology. Th
ere were over a hundred applicants. Only ten students would be granted acceptance to the rigorous program. During my initial interview, I was drilled regarding my past experiences as a critical care registered nurse but also my career as a bodybuilder.
I was very surprised when most of the questions thrown at me were focused on my ability as a competitive bodybuilder. They were astonished at the discipline and focus I had to compete at that level. We talked about my overall win at the 1988 Women’s Pro World Championship and others that I won. I also told them how I had failed many times but got back up to compete again. I am convinced that the Board of Admissions based most of their decision on the experiences I had as a competitive athlete. They recognized the sacrifice; my strong competitive drive, determination and self-discipline needed to compete at that level and realized that I would bring that focus with me to the program. I graduated from Anesthesia school with honors. That is what competing means to me.
What are some of your most memorable moments over your competitive career?
Wow. I’ve been in this sport since 1979 at age 19! I have accumulated LOTS of memorable moments! My first show, the AAU Ms. Massachusetts in New Bedford brings back memories. I dieted on cans of tuna fish, lettuce and water for 2 weeks, competed, not knowing anything about posing style except what I had seen in magazines. I placed 2nd vowing never to get back on the stage again. Well, that was short-lived. It only took a week or so before my strong desire to overcome my fears and regain my competitive nature took over.
Of course, winning shows is always a memorable moment. I won the NPC Northeast Championship then went on to win the East Coast, which qualified me for the Nationals. I won the American Mixed Pairs, the USA Mixed Pairs, the overall Ms USA and the World Games in London, which gave me my Pro card. This was in 1985.
In 1988, I won the Women’s World Pro Championship in Nice, France. It was definitely one of my most memorable and rewarding experiences. I’ve competed in the Ms. Olympia three times with my best placing… 6th in 1988.
I have many good and humbling memories, having the honor of competing in the Ms. Olympia three times. Back in the 80’s, the Ms. Olympia had its own weekend held in New York City at either Madison Square Garden or The Ed Sullivan Theater. I remember one year that it was at Madison Square Garden. That alone was exciting. I was in a dressing room preparing for prejudging when Cory Everson asked m
e if I’d share a dressing room with her and a couple of other competitors. While I was flattered, it was another reality check. As I walked into their dressing room, there stood Ellen Van Maris, Bev Francis and Cory Everson. I was now in the land of the giants. I felt like a hobbit. Needless to say, I was humbled.
I remember placing quite low in that particular show but had the time of my life. After we finished the night show, we walked back to our dressing room. Those who were there that night as we approached the underground of the arena may only remember our greeting. The New York City sewage system backed up and flooded our dressing rooms. Clothing, gym bags and anything else that you could imagine was floating past us as we made our way to our room, knee deep in that smelly mess. That was the perfect ending to a most memorable weekend!
Who were some of your role models?
In 1979, at the ripe old age of 19, the manager of a Nautilus center where I trained handed me a magazine. He told me that he thought I had the “genetics” for the sport of women’s bodybuilding. Initially I thought he was a little crazy… until I opened up to an article with photos of Rachel McLish. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was the epitome of what female bodybuilding was at that time. I wanted to be her. I remember reading everything ever written about her diet, training methods, posing and anything else that I could find. Rachel was and continues to be an inspiration for many women. I also loved Mary Roberts’ physique because she was one of the first women to show more muscularity while maintaining a beautiful, feminine physique.
Look for Part 2 of my interview with Dona Oliveira tomorrow where she talks about her decision to retire, what she has been up to the last 25 years and the rumors of a possible comeback!
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