Debi Laszewski

Last updated
Debi Laszewski [1]
Bodybuilder
Personal info
Born (1969-09-29) September 29, 1969 (age 54)
Wausau, Wisconsin [1]
Height5 ft 2.5 in (1.59 m) [2]
WeightIn Season: 144–145 lb (65–66 kg)
Off-Season: 154 lb (70 kg)
Professional career
Pro-debut
Best win
Predecessor Dena Westerfield [1]
Successor Kristy Hawkins [1]
Active1993-2015 (Retired) [3]

Debi Laszewski (born September 29, 1969) is an American retired professional female bodybuilder. She ranks as the 3rd best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List. [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Debi Laszewski was born 1969 in Wausau, Wisconsin, where she was raised, and was the second of two children. She played track and field while attending Wausau West High. [5] [6] After graduating high school, Laszewski attended Madison Area Technical College. [7]

Bodybuilding career

Amateur

Laszewski was 20 years old when she started in bodybuilding. She started lifting after being motivated by the physique of Linda Hamilton in The Terminator. [8] She did her first competition at the age of 24. It was a natural show and she won her class. [9]

Laszewski was stunned by the judges' decision in a 2000 USA contest, which turned her dreams of turning pro upside-down. [8] As she later reflected, she entered the competition confident that her physique was impressive and feminine, and other contestants believed she was top of the class. Instead of finishing near the top, she finished 7th place. Laszewski said she did not apply herself in the 2001 competition nearly as hard, saying, "I just didn't have it anymore". She finished 12th in that competition, and placed nominal attention to bodybuilding competition for the next four years as a result. Between 2001 and 2005, Laszewski did not enter a single pro competition. Laszewski remained primarily a personal trainer without plans to compete professionally until 2005, when the introduction of the "light-heavyweight class" created a niche she felt more at ease with. Laszewski remained noticeably shorter and more compact than her competition, but believed she could shine against a larger group without the need to consistently lose weight, "I wasn’t as stripped down", Laszewski stated, and even so, a judge for the NPC said, "Don’t squeeze anything. Just show your shape." [8] [9]

Laszewski returned to professional competition in 2005, and finished second place in the NPC in a highly-controversial judging decision. Laszewski was initially encouraged by the possibility of a win in the newly formed light-heavyweight class and entered several amateur Southern States competitions. She sent in photographs and entered herself into the NPC championships in 2005. Laszewski and her boyfriend noticed considerable attention to her physique, and believed she would win first-place. Laszewski confronted judges backstage, and wanted answers as to why she placed second behind Dena Westerfield. Laszewski was frustrated with the judges' paradoxical explanations, as they said her back was too defined and detailed, which would render well in a professional league, but not in an amateur pre-qualifier. Laszewski felt she was trapped in a catch-22 where her strong physique was better suited to the professional league, but she could not enter the league without winning the amateurs. Laszewski and her boyfriend were highly disappointed, and spoke with Amanda Dunbar and Debbie Bramwell, two competitors close to her about the judging decision. A photographer caught a photograph backstage following the event, with a noticeably anxious Laszewski discussing the matter with her fellow competitors. [10] Gene X Magazine interviewed Laszewski and said she was clearly disappointed and felt somewhat hopeless in her chances of advancing towards the pros, "I always seem to do the wrong show at the wrong time", she said the day after her competition. She learned from the judges that she finished only 2 points away from Dena in the judging tally. Laszewski said she would have preferred to finish 6th or 7th than to come so teasingly close. [8] [9]

Laszewski has had a very mixed experience with physique contest judges. She said that one judge marked her down because she was "too pretty" for her degree of muscularity, and took a poor ranking in 2000 because of guidelines set down to the judges targeting women that were "too big". [11] Laszewski has taken some advice about enhancing a feminine X-shaped torso with great conviction. She has been encouraged and said she uses her creativity to enhance her physique for what the judges want consistently, even developing her own exercises to best meet those goals. Despite her disagreements with judging decisions in 2000 and 2005, Laszewski told Bodybuilding.com in 2010 that she believed the judging system overall was fair. Laszewski turned pro after winning her class at the 2006 Nationals in Miami. [9]

Professional

Since 2009, Laszewski has placed in the top six of every single Ms. International and Ms. Olympia held that year. Laszewski finished 2nd in the 2012 Ms. Olympia, placing her as runner-up to Iris Kyle. This was her best performance in a professional IFBB event for her entire career, and she was considered a serious threat to the reigning champion, Iris Kyle. In interviews, she said the reason she was able to improve her standing was by speaking with judges and learning that her muscle mass was judged negatively for reducing her feminine shape. Laszewski said she reduced the size of her waistline for the contest by eliminating certain exercises from her workouts. She also admitted to doing no cardio for 6 weeks prior to the contest, a strong contrast to Nathalia Melo, the 2012 Bikini Olympia winner, who ran 10–12 miles a day for her competition. [2] Her 2nd-place finish in the 2012 Ms. Olympia automatically enters her as one of five contestants to pre-qualify for the 2013 Ms. Olympia, to be held September 27, 2013. [12] Following the 2012 Olympia, Laszewski categorized her current status as near "a pinnacle" where she could finally reap the results of years of work. She told an interviewer that she was confident that she could win the Ms. Olympia 2013 and Ms. International 2013. [13] According to Muscle Insider, Laszewski was predicted to take 3rd place in the 2013 Ms. International contest, behind Iris Kyle and Yaxeni Oriquen, [14] which she did at the 2013 Ms. International. [9]

Contest history

Personal life

Laszewski has an interest in home decorating and interior design. She gave a tour of her home to Muscular Development in 2011. [15] She is an official sponsored athlete of Ironville Clothing Company, which sells bodybuilding-themed sportswear. [16]

Personal training

Laszewski is a personal trainer who lives in Jupiter, Florida. [17] Some of her clients are: Mr. Bahamas 2011 Robert Harris, Southern States contestant Chad Awad, [18] 2010 NPC Southern States 1st-place winner Beth Wachter [19] photographer Blake Reagan, [20] and professional women's figure contestant Traci Pate. [21] She has an older sister who competes as a pro bodybuilder in the natural federation. [5]

George Farah, who is also her boyfriend, served as her nutritionist and prepared her for many of her competitions. Laszewski told reporters at BodyBuilding.com that she was to release a coffee table book during the Ms. Arnold contest in 2010. Reportedly, the book was a 4-year project for Laszewski and would contain 70 photos of her across the country, each with spiritual quotes. Laszewski stated that her reason for creating the book was to educate readers about female bodybuilding in an artful way. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenda Murray</span> American bodybuilder (born 1962)

Lenda Murray is an American professional female bodybuilding champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bev Francis</span> Australian bodybuilder and powerlifter

Beverley "Bev" Francis is an Australian gym owner and retired professional bodybuilder, powerlifter, and national shot put champion.

Female bodybuilding is the female component of competitive bodybuilding. It began in the late 1970s, when women began to take part in bodybuilding competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ms. International</span>

The Ms. International female bodybuilding contest was considered to be the second-most prestigious competition for female bodybuilders, from its inception in 1986 through to its final staging in 2013. It was first held in 1986 by the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB). In 1987, the IFBB allowed the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to sanction the Ms. International as an amateur event. In 1988, the contest was again sanctioned by the IFBB. From 1989 the contest was part of the Arnold Sports Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iris Kyle</span> American bodybuilder (born 1974)

Iris Floyd Kyle is an African-Indian American professional female bodybuilder. She is currently the most successful, female or male, professional bodybuilder ever. She has a total of twenty professional bodybuilding titles, with ten overall and two heavyweight Ms. Olympia titles and seven overall and one heavyweight Ms. International titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dayana Cadeau</span> American bodybuilding champion (born 1966)

Dayana M. Cadeau is a Haitian Canadian professional female bodybuilder.

Kay Baxter was a pioneer female bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Pariso</span> American professional female bodybuilder (born 1956)

Betty Carmichael Pariso is an American professional female bodybuilder. She was the world's oldest active professional female bodybuilder while competing.

Monique Jones is an American professional female bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heather Armbrust</span> American professional female bodybuilder

Heather Marie Armbrust is an American professional female bodybuilder.

The 2009 Ms. Olympia contest is an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition and part of Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 2009 was held on September 25, 2009, at the South Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada and in the Orleans Arena at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada. It was the 30th Ms. Olympia competition held. Other events at the exhibition include the 212 Olympia Showdown, Mr. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, and Figure Olympia contests.

The 2013 Ms. Olympia contest is an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition and part of Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 2013 to be held on September 27, 2013, at the South Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada and in the Orleans Arena at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada. It was the 34th Ms. Olympia competition held. Other events at the exhibition include the 212 Olympia Showdown, Mr. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, Figure Olympia, Bikini Olympia, Women's Physique Showdown, and Men's Physique Showdown contests.

The 2014 Ms. Olympia contest is an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition and part of Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 2014 was held on September 19, 2014, at the South Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada and in the Orleans Arena at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada. It was the 35th Ms. Olympia competition held. Other events at the exhibition include the 212 Olympia Showdown, Mr. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, Figure Olympia, Bikini Olympia, Women's Physique Showdown, and Men's Physique Showdown contests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colette Nelson</span> American professional female bodybuilder

Colette Nelson is an American professional female bodybuilder and women's physique competitor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Aukland</span> American bodybuilder

Lisa Aukland is an American professional female bodybuilder and amateur powerlifter.

Margie V. "The Marvelous One" Martin is an American professional female bodybuilder. She is the first Ms Rising Phoenix of the 2015 and the 2016 IFBB Wings of Strength Rising Phoenix World Championships.

The 2015 Rising Phoenix World Championships was an IFBB Wings of Strength female professional bodybuilding competition and held in conjunction with the IFBB Texas Pro, the NPC Tim Gardner Texas Extravaganza, and NPC National. It was held on August 20, 2015 to August 22, 2015, at the Grand Hyatt, in San Antonio, Texas, United States.

Christopher Adam Bumstead, known by his fans as CBum, is a Canadian IFBB Pro League professional bodybuilder. Bumstead is the reigning five-time Mr. Olympia Classic Physique Champion, winning five consecutive titles from 2019 to 2023.

Alena Hatvani was a Czech professional bodybuilder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theresa Ivancik</span> American bodybuilder

Theresa M. Ivancik is an American professional bodybuilder and former professional physique and figure contestant. She is currently ranked as the 7th best professional female bodybuilder.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "IFBB Professional Bodybuilder DEBI LASZEWSKI!". amg. 2012-10-02. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Interview with Debi Laszewski after her 2nd place finish at the 2012 Olympia!". Rxmuscle.com. 2012-10-03. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  3. 1 2 "The Prodigy Goes 1 on 1 With Debi Laszewski". rx muscle. 2 April 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  4. ↑ "IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List". getbig.com. September 1, 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Debi Laszewski : The Grand Dame of Amateur Women's Bodybuilding". October 6, 2006. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ "IFBB Pro Female Bodybuilder Debi Laszewski Female Bodybuilding Interview of the Month". September 2009. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  7. ↑ Debi Laszewski on Facebook
  8. 1 2 3 4 "GeneX Magazine > female muscle, bodybuilders, fitness models - photo galleries and video clips - flexing biceps". Tour.ftvideo.com. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Events". debilaszewski.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  10. ↑ Di hansk01 Hans + Aggiungi contatto (19 November 2005). "Controversy | Flickr – Condivisione di foto!". Flickr.com. Retrieved 2013-05-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Debi Laszewski female competitive bodybuilder and muscle woman | nude images by Bill Dobbins". Blackiceapps.com. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  12. ↑ "IFBB Professional League » 2013-olympia-qualified-athletes". Ifbbpro.com. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  13. ↑ "VNM-tv Debi Laszewski Olympia 2012 Interview". YouTube. 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  14. ↑ "2013 Arnold Classic Predictions". Muscle Insider. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  15. ↑ Hawley, John (2011-06-10). "Muscular Development TV Cribs with Debi Laszewski". Mdtv.musculardevelopment.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  16. ↑ Ironville. "IRONVILLE® - Sponsor Athlete Debi Laszewski - 2013 Female Bodybuilder, Future Ms Olympia, IFBB Pro Body Builder". Ironville.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  17. ↑ "Personal Training – Jupiter Fitness".
  18. ↑ "IFBB Pro Debi Laszewski Training 19 year old Chad Awad and Traci Pate. 3 Videos". Forums.musculardevelopment.com. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  19. ↑ "::: Testimonial Of Beth Wachter". Debilaszewski.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  20. ↑ "New fitness gallery posted". Blake Reagan Photography. Archived from the original on 2013-04-07. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  21. ↑ Hawley, John (2011-07-02). "Training with Debi Laszewski and Traci Pate: Legs". Mdtv.musculardevelopment.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-02. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.