{"id":5189,"date":"2026-01-07T21:56:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T21:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=5189"},"modified":"2026-01-07T21:56:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T21:56:20","slug":"75-year-old-cheryl-riess-becomes-bodybuilding-champion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=5189","title":{"rendered":"75-year-old Cheryl Riess becomes bodybuilding champion"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Meet Cheryl Riess, a grandmother of seven and mother of five, who just might be the oldest first-time bodybuilder to compete in the country.<\/p>\n

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OCEANSIDE, Calif. \u2014 Each birthday is a time to reflect on life, aging and the wisdom that comes with it. For one local woman, turning 75 meant more than cake and candles \u2014 it meant stepping on stage in a bikini, flexing her muscles, and redefining what aging can look like.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Meet Cheryl Riess, a grandmother of seven and mother of five who just might be the oldest first-time bodybuilder to compete in the country.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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If you\u2019re a fan of the phrase, \u2018strength has no age,\u2019 then you\u2019re about to become a big fan of Cheryl Riess.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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While many of Cheryl\u2019s hobbies might sound typical for a woman her age \u2014 gardening, crafting, and making jewelry \u2014 what she decided to take on next certainly wasn\u2019t. After being diagnosed with osteoporosis, Cheryl didn\u2019t slow down. She sped up.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI said I want to work out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Cheryl made a commitment not to let age define her \u2014 instead, she was determined to define how she would age.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cIf I commit to something, I\u2019m all in.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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She decided not just to get stronger, but to compete in a full-on bodybuilding competition.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI said right away, I want to compete. I\u2019ve never even worn a bikini.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Before she could take the stage, she had work to do \u2014 months of it. Cheryl trained with bodybuilding coach Laurie Delaney, spending hours in the gym, trimming her waistline, building muscle, and learning the moves required for competition.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Laurie, a seasoned coach, had never trained someone quite like Cheryl.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cShe\u2019s a Type A personality. Cheryl is a testimony to the fact that you are never too old to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Cheryl’s daughter, Kara, says her mom has amazing determination.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cMy mom has always been someone who has completely done the unexpected… I\u2019m going to do bodybuilding? You\u2019re going to do what?! Never seen you in a bikini, in front of everybody, mom \u2014 you\u2019ve had five kids!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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And Cheryl wasn\u2019t shy about the realities of aging.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cSkin isn\u2019t as elastic as it used to be. I had five kids, and I was concerned about that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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But through grit and discipline, she dropped 25 pounds in just over three months, building muscle and confidence with every rep.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI ended up losing 25 pounds in about 3.5 months, and adding pounds of muscle along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Her support system helped, including long-time friends.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cBeing half-naked, and there you are, putting yourself out there \u2014 it\u2019s a big deal,\u201d said her friend, Stephanie Young.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Her diet? Even more intense.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cFour egg whites in the morning, one-third cup of oatmeal. Every meal was two ounces of chicken, two ounces of sweet potatoes, and eight asparagus spears. Every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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And all of it \u2014 the dieting, the dumbbells, the dedication \u2014 was for one moment: stepping onto the stage at the INBA Natural Bodybuilding Championship in Oceanside this past August.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI was the first athlete on the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The crowd roared as Cheryl took the stage in her one-piece. \u00a0Women half her age were also on stage. Then came the bikini round \u2014 yes, the bikini round.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cIn a bikini at 75!\u201d the announcer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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And then, the evening gown competition \u2014 where her husband, Rich, couldn\u2019t help but whistle in approval.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Incredibly, Cheryl won first place in both the one-piece and bikini categories in her division and took home a third-place medal in the evening gown category.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m proud because I said I was going to do it \u2014 and I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Her granddaughter, Dakota, is still in awe.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI tell all my friends about everything she does. My grandma just did a bodybuilding competition. They\u2019re like \u2014 what are you talking about?!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cShe\u2019s someone I look up to so much. I hope at 75 I can be doing things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Cheryl\u2019s daughter Kara echoed the sentiment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cThis competition is another example of not allowing others to put limits on her.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Even her son-in-law, Mark, got a kick out of it.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI want to look \u2014 don\u2019t \u2014 my mother-in-law doing booty shots \u2014 oh, forgive me, but it was part of the show\u2026 it was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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An awesome reminder that age really is<\/em> just a number.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI had a lot of fun, but I\u2019m glad it\u2019s over.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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When asked what she thinks when she hears the word, age, Cheryl said: \u00a0“Being chronologically gifted. We are lucky to make 75.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cShe wants to inspire people to think differently,\u201d her daughter Kara said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cI would like to be like her someday,\u201d her granddaughter, Dakota, said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Cheryl’s advice is simple for people who aren’t sure they can do something due to their age.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Although there\u2019s no official record, Cheryl may be the oldest first-time competitor in American bodybuilding history.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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And while she may not be planning another competition \u2014 for now \u2014 Cheryl\u2019s story is a reminder to all of us:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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Meet Cheryl Riess, a grandmother of seven and mother of five, who just might be the oldest first-time bodybuilder to compete in the country. OCEANSIDE, Calif. \u2014 Each birthday is a time to reflect on life, aging and the wisdom that comes with it. 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