Ernestine Shepherd, the bodybuilding grandmother, made history at 73 when Guinness World Records named her the world’s oldest competitive female bodybuilder.
However, long before her record-breaking achievement, a simple yet unexpected moment at age 56 inspired her to start training, transform her life and eventually enter the world of competitive bodybuilding.
According to Shepherd, who was in her late 50s at the time, she hated what she saw in the dressing room mirror after she tried on various swimsuits.
Despite trying on different styles, colors and sizes, she realized that it wasn’t the clothing at all but her body.
At the time, she had little interest in sports or exercise.
“I was too prissy to exercise,” she admitted, as cited by Good Morning America, adding “I just didn’t want to have my hair messed up. Didn’t want my fingernails broken.”
At one point, Shepherd was exempt from the school’s physical education classes because of an injury she sustained in a car accident as a child.
Yohnnie Shambourger Ernestine Shepherd, 74, proudly hands her, her award in a bodybuilding show last year, where she received two trophies in Washington, D.C. on May 01, 2010.In Rome, Italy on March18, 2010, Ernestine received the Guinness World Record Award for the Oldest Female Bodybuilder.Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images
However, the dressing room incident motivated her to make a change and prioritize her health.
At 56, Shepherd started hitting the gym under the guidance of a personal trainer, transforming her body and embarking on a life-changing journey into fitness and competitive bodybuilding.
At 71, she began training for her first competitive bodybuilding competition and would spend days lifting weights and running.
Years later, the fruit of her hard work paid off when Guinness Book of World Records recognized Shepherd as the world’s oldest competitive female bodybuilder in 2010 at the age of 73.
She held the title through 2011, when E. Wilma Conner became the record holder at 75, competing in the NPC Armbrust Pro Gym Warrior Classic Bodybuilding Championships on Aug. 20, 2011.
According to her, one of her inspirations was the Rocky star.
“When you call my phone, you hear Sylvester Stallone’s music because I was inspired by his movie… and how he had to get his life back together and how he drank the egg whites and I drink egg whites now because of Rocky,” she told The Independent.
Moreover, she eats several small meals throughout the day, with about 1,700 calories per day instead of a few large meals.
In addition, Shepherd does not rely on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to build muscle and also avoids taking bodybuilding supplements, except for vitamin D.
This story was originally published by Parade on Oct 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
