Min Yung Kim was, I reckon, my first Asian and/or Korean female muscle crush thanks to her appearances in magazines like Musclemag, Ironman and Flex. Later, it was her WPW photo sets showcasing her spectacular legs. Regular readers will know I never forget my first time, so although she was technically an American when I first encountered her in the pages of those magazines (and still is, living in Florida with the married(?) name Min Yung Kim-Renda), she makes my list for the memories!
She was a pro fitness competitor when that was a relatively new thing to be (the first Ms Fitness Olympia was in 1995). And in those days there were plenty of fitness competitors who, like Min Yung Kim, wouldn't look out of place in a physique line-up now. Her competitive career, as far as I can tell, peaked in the late '90s, with 3rd place finishes in both the 1998 and 1999 Women’s Strength Extravaganza.
Back in those days I didn't pay as much attention to the WORDS in the magazines as I do on the webpages now - I guess I wasn't female muscle mature then! - so it was nice to come across an interview with Min Yung Kim while I was putting this post together.
Her heroine, she said, was Dale Tomita - I resemble her and she has a gymnastic background like me. We're both Asian. I would like to be the next Dale - or even be better. She also dreamed that she would accomplish in the fitness arena what Cory Everson accomplished in bodybuilding, and said that I hope to compete at the highest level of fitness competition, including the Ms Fitness Olympia.
Well, she wasn't quite the next Dale Tomita, and nor did she quite do a Cory for fitness, and although she did compete as a pro a number of times, she never, as far as I know, graced the Olympia stage. Still, she has made it onto FMS' favourite Koreans list, which is probably not that much consolation for her, but you never know!
Enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment