The 32nd edition of the contest will be held on the weekend of Feb. 28 through March 1, 2025, as part of the 2025 Arnold Classic weekend in its annual home of Columbus, OH. If Khadr does not win, the show will have its 15th champion crowned.
Fitness International Champions
The history of the event with all 14 previous winners is below:
- Carol Lynn Semple (1994-95, 1997)
- Alexandra Beres (1996)
- Susie Curry (1998-99, 2002-03)
- Kelly Ryan (2000)
- Jenny Worth (2001)
- Adela Garcia (2004-06, 2010-12)
- Jen Hendershott (2005, 2009)
- Kim Klein (2007-08)
- Tanji Johnson (2013)
- Oksana Grishina (2014-17)
- Whitney Jones (2018)
- Ryall Graber (2019)
- Missy Truscott (2020-21)
- Ariel Khadr (2022-24)
Carol Lynn Semple (1994-95, 1997)
The competition was first called the Ms. Fitness World contest, and Carol Lynn Semple made bodybuilding history by winning it. Since this title preceded the Fitness Olympia, she was considered the world champion of the division. The Olympia first hosted a Fitness event the following year.
Semple would also be the first repeat champion and three-time winner of this contest thanks to her victories in 1995 and 1997. The last title was the first to be known as the Fitness International, and she would also win the Fitness Olympia that same year.
1994
- Carol Lynn Semple
- Nancy Georges
- Cathy Burton
1995
- Carol Lynn Semple
- Saryn Muldrow
- Tatiana Anderson
1997
- Carol Lynn Semple
- Monica Brant
- Susie Curry
Alexandra Beres (1996)
The last Ms. Fitness World titleholder was Alexandra Beres of Hungary, who won at age 19. This would be her only Arnold win and the biggest victory of her career before she transitioned to curling.
- Alexandra Beres
- Andrea Contant
- Tatiana Anderson
Susie Curry (1998-99, 2002-03)
The first athlete to dominate the Fitness division was Susie Curry, who won four International titles and four Olympia championships. She held both titles simultaneously in 2002 and 2003.
1998
- Susie Curry
- Monica Brant
- Saryn Muldrow
1999
- Susie Curry
- Mary Yockey
- Lena Johannessen
2002
- Susie Curry
- Jenny Worth
- Jen Henderschott
2003
- Susie Curry
- Adela Garcia
- Kelly Ryan
Kelly Ryan (2000)
Kelly Ryan’s name now lives in infamy because of her marriage to Craig Titus and her conviction for her role in the death of Melissa James in 2005. Still, she first earned recognition as the winner of the 2000 Fitness International. Ryan would continue competing until 2004.
- Kelly Ryan
- Timea Majorova
- Shannon Meteraud
Jenny Worth (2001)
Jenny Worth denied Ryan a second straight International win by placing first in 2001. This would be her final win in the Fitness division, but she would return to the stage in 2017 as a Figure competitor.
- Jenny Worth
- Kelly Ryan
- Adela Garcia
Adela Garcia (2004-06, 2010-12)
Garcia won her first of five Fitness International titles in 2004 and began a meteoric rise to the top of the category by the end of the decade. By the time she left the stage for good in 2013, she had won eight Olympia championships with her five Arnold wins. She ended her career with a ten-show winning streak. She has remained connected to Fitness as a show promoter in recent years.
2004
- Adela Garcia
- Kelly Ryan
- Jen Henderschott
2006
- Adela Garcia
- Kim Klein
- Jen Henderschott
2010
- Adela Garcia
- Julie Palmer
- Tanji Johnson
2011
- Adela Garcia
- Tanji Johnson
- Trish Warren
2012
- Adela Garcia
- Camala Rodriguez
- Oksana Grishina
Jen Henderschott (2005, 2009)
Garcia’s main rival during her era was Jen Henderschott, who interrupted Garcia’s run of wins twice in 2005 and 2009. Henderschott also managed to take two Olympia titles in 2005 and 2008.
2005
- Jen Henderschott
- Adela Garcia
- Kim Klein
2009
- Jen Henderschott
- Julie Palmer
- Tracey Greenwood
Kim Klein (2007-08)
Kim Klein was another two-time Fitness International winner, winning back-to-back in 2007 and 2008. Many fans consider the 2000s the best era for the division, and Klein is a reason why. Although she never scored an Olympia win, she was a threat in any show she entered.
2007
- Kim Klein
- Jen Henderschott
- Adela Garcia
2008
- Kim Klein
- Jen Henderschott
- Julie Palmer
Tanji Johnson (2013)
Tanji Johnson is best known to current fans as a show promoter, but she was also a successful competitor, highlighted by her Fitness International win in 2013. Johnson bridged the gap between Garcia and the next dominant champion of the division, Oksana Grishina.
- Tanji Johnson
- Oksana Grishina
- Bethany Wagner
Oksana Grishina (2014-17)
Grishina finished second to Johnson in 2013 but claimed the title for herself the following year and did not let go until her retirement in 2017. She initially ended her career with four International and Olympia titles in her possession. However, she returned to the stage in 2020 and claimed a fifth Olympia win in 2023.
2014
- Oksana Grishina
- Regiane Dasilva
- Tanji Johnson
2015
- Oksana Grishina
- Tanji Johnson
- Regiane Dasilva
2016
- Oksana Grishina
- Whitney Jones
- Bethany Wagner
2017
- Oksana Grishina
- Regiane Dasilva
- Whitney Jones
Whitney Jones (2018)
Whitney Jones was a rising star in the division throughout the mid-2010’s but rose to the top after Grishina walked away from the stage. That climb included her only win on the International stage in 2018, followed by her first of three Olympia wins.
- Whitney Jones
- Kate Errington
- Bethany Wagner
Ryall Graber (2019)
2019 was the most successful year of Ryall Graber’s career. She won three shows, including the 2019 Fitness International and Arnold Classic Australia, before claiming a top three spot at that year’s Olympia. Graber would leave the stage for good after that season, but it was an impressive way to go out.
- Ryall Graber
- Whitney Jones
- Tiffany Chandler
Missy Truscott (2020-21)
Missy Truscott assumed the helm in 2020 and managed to repeat in 2021. Her intense routines combined with a powerful physique are what helped her win those shows as well as three Olympia championships. Truscott is no longer in the category because she announced in January 2025 that she would be moving on to the Figure division.
2020
- Missy Truscott
- Ariel Khadr
- Tiffany Chandler
2021
- Missy Truscott
- Oksana Grishina
- Ariel Khadr
Ariel Khadr (2022-24)
The most recent champion of this contest was Ariel Khadr, who has won the last three Fitness International titles thanks in part to her Arnold-inspired routines, such as the Terminator and Predator performances, which were talked about long after fans left Columbus. If Khadr is successful in 2025, she will be the first athlete since Grishina to win four Fitness International titles in a row and the fourth athlete to win four titles in total.
2022
- Ariel Khadr
- Missy Truscott
- Jaclyn Baker
2023
- Ariel Khadr
- Jaclyn Baker
- Michelle Fredua-Mehsah
2024
- Ariel Khadr
- Jaclyn Baker
- Jodi Boam
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Featured Image: @itsarielkhadr on Instagram
