Page 165 - Muscle & Fitness (December 2019)

B Y E L I Z A B E T H Y U N

event, the Rising Phoenix World
Championships.

SETTING THE STAGE
Murray immediately signed on as
Wings of Strength spokeswoman
and champion for fellow female
bodybuilders everywhere. “It was
time for female bodybuilders to
stand firm in knowing who they
are—to fight the fight and have

a voice,” Murray says. “This was
going to show how strong we are
and how committed we really
are to our passion.”
This year, Wood and Murray
fully realized their ultimate
goal—bringing the women’s open
category back to the Olympia.
“To make women’s bodybuilding
viable again, we have to promote
it to the general public,” Wood
explains. “How can you do that if LENDA
you don’t have women’s body- MURRAY
Height: 5'5"
building at the Olympia?” Now, Contest Weight: 155 lbs
thanks to Wood, Murray, and the Residence:
entire Wings of Strength family, Venice Beach, CA
the Ms. Olympia will be returning Instagram:
@themsolympia
to the 2020 Olympia. “There has
never been a lack of interest;
there has only been a lack of
promotion,” Wood says about
the return. hiatus. We wouldn’t be where
we are if they didn’t continue to
NEW ERA FOR WOMEN’S show up.”
BODYBUILDING Wood echoes Murray’s sen-

Women in bodybuilding have timent. “Wings of Strength’s
always had to deal with a goal is to change the world a
unique set of challenges, espe- little bit—to make it accept that
cially around body image. It’s a women can look the way they
challenge Murray understands want to look. If they want to be
very well. “It was difficult to muscular and physically big and
make that shift from being a powerful, that’s OK,” he says.
cheerleader and focusing on But their biggest goal is to make
this image of what society said sure bodybuilding—for both
was beautiful to transition into women and men—always has a
having big biceps and shoulders,” home. “People don’t realize that
she says. But that definition of if women’s bodybuilding can go
beauty and femininity is evolving. away, so can men’s, and I don’t
“My mission is to communicate want to see either one of them
go away,” Wood says. Thanks to
with women bodybuilders today:
R O B E RT R E I F F Your challenge is unique, and I’m him and Wings of Strength, it
looks like bodybuilding’s legacy
really proud of the women who
sustained through this extended
is safe.

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