Iris Kyle

Iris Floyd Kyle (born August 22, 1974) is an American professional female bodybuilding champion. She currently lives in Katy, Texas. Currently, she is the most successful, female or male, professional bodybuilder ever, with ten overall Ms. Olympia wins and two heavyweight wins, along with seven Ms. International wins and one heavyweight win. She ranks as the best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List.

Early life and education

Iris Kyle was born in 1974 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the fifth of six children. Her early athletic endeavors included running cross country, basketball (point guard), and softball (shortstop). She was an All-American in basketball, and received a number of athletic scholarship offers. Iris attended Benton Harbor High School continued her education at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, on a basketball scholarship, majoring in business administration and minoring in accounting.

Bodybuilding career

Amateur

Iris Kyle claims the reason she got into bodybuilding was when she moved to Orange County, California, and being surrounded by fit, healthy-looking people, she thought she could obtain a similar highly trained, sculpted physique. Iris recalls, she walked into a gym and took out a membership. "I distinctly remember being a bit overwhelmed with the facilities and the seemingly endless variety of training equipment, but I knew at that exact moment … without feeling even the slightest doubt … that I could develop the kind of physique I wanted." says Iris. She was later hired by the same gym and, as an employee, got more opportunities for training and growth. She became a voracious reader of the magazines FLEX, Muscle and Fitness, and Iron Man.