Ernestine Shepherd
Born
Ernestine Shepherd

(1936-06-16) June 16, 1936
OccupationCompetitive body builder
Years active1995–present
Known forOldest living competitive bodybuilder at one point
Websiteernestineshepherd.net

Ernestine Shepherd (born June 16, 1936) is an American bodybuilder who is best known for being, at one point, the oldest competitive female bodybuilder in the world, as declared by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 and 2011;[1] as of 2023, she is 87 years old and still an active, albeit no longer competitive, bodybuilder.[2]

Life

Shepherd was a model in Baltimore for years, but at age 56 she and her sister Mildred Blackwell went to try on swimsuits and found their bodies were out of shape; they then started taking aerobics classes.[3] Her sister began competing in bodybuilding shows under the name Velvet, and Ernestine followed under the name Ernie.[3] However, her sister died in the early 1990s following a brain aneurysm.[3] Shepherd carried on her bodybuilding career in part to remember her sister.[3]

Shepherd published a book, Determined, Dedicated, Disciplined To Be Fit, in 2016.[4]

She appeared briefly in “Black Is King” by Beyoncé.[5]

Record broken

In 2012 at age 77, Edith Connor was declared the oldest competitive female bodybuilder by the Guinness Book of World Records, beating Shepherd’s record.[6][7]

Diet and exercise

Her diet consists of 1,700 calories a day, mostly from boiled eggs, chicken, vegetables, and a liquid eggs drink, and she runs about 80 miles a week.[8] She is trained by former Mr. Universe Yohnnie Shambourger.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Ernestine Shepherd, in shape at age 74". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2015-07-21.
  2. ↑ "80-year-old body builder proves age is just a number". AOL News. 21 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Six-pack abs at age 74: 'Age is nothing but a number,' says Guinness World Record's oldest competitive female bodybuilder – The Washington Post". Washington Post.
  4. ↑ "Home". Ernestine Shepherd. Archived from the original on 2016-06-04. Retrieved 2016-05-22.
  5. ↑ Braun, Lori (31 August 2020). "84 year old female bodybuilder appears in Beyoncé's "Black is King" video".
  6. ↑ "Oldest Female Bodybuilder, 77-Year-Old Edith Connor, Breaks Guinness World Record". Ibtimes.com. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
  7. ↑ "Nyad's not alone: 7 senior citizens with superhuman strength". TODAY.com. 3 September 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Don't Mess With Ernestine Shepherd-- Body Building Grandma Benches 150 – ABC News". ABC News.
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