Corinna Everson

Six-time IFBB Ms. Olympia Corinna Everson (née Kneuer) was born on January 4, 1958 in Racine, Wisconsin. A bodybuilder, trainer, writer, host, athlete, and actress, Cory has done all. She lived in Deerfield, Illinois where she went to high school before attending University of Wisconsin-Madison. There, she met future husband and competitive bodybuilder Jeff Everson (whom she wed in 1982). In her schooling years, Cory excelled in gymnastics, track & field, and badminton. Cory's bodybuilding career embarked in the early 1980s. Standing a statuesque 5'9" and weighing a brawny 155-160 lbs at competitions, Cory took her first contest in 1981 and won the rest of her amateur shows. Her career hit a zenith in the professionals during the mid-1980s. From 1984, Cory captured every Ms. Olympia contest up to 1989 when she retired undefeated. She became a bodybuilding Hall of Fame inductee in 1999 and in 2005 by two separate organizations. Cory followed her mastery of the physique world with her major film debut in 1991, sharing the screen with martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme. While she found guest spots in various series during the 1990s, none matched her impression as Amazonian powerhouse Atalanta on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995). As such, this recurring character shared the screen with the titular hero played by Kevin Sorbo. Indeed, in Atalanta's three memorable episodes, she strove to show Hercules he more than met his match. She made her last screen appearance on an episode of Charmed (1998), where she portrayed Paige's "Hulk" version. Cory's screen presence transcended film and television as she hosted the fitness show BodyShaping and her own ESPN-aired show Cory Everson's Gotta Sweat. She has also penned training books since 1986, producing her last publication in 1998.