I disapprove of those who criticize Bev. I have known her since the seventies when she competed in track and field in Australia. She is a wonderful person who isn't nasty like many here on Getbig. While training for athletics she lifted a lot of weights and actually didn't mind getting muscular. Well, those muscles helped her heave the shot put 17 meters. That is a long way. She discovered powerlifting and was soon breaking all the world records in her weight class. She was the first woman to officially bench 300 pounds...I was there that night. Her best official bench was 330 pounds. Apparently she did 350 in the gym. That calls for respect. Bev was a high school teacher so no dummy. She never tested positive to banned substances. Did she use steroids? I remember Gael Martin, her best mate in Australia, saying something those beans!
I encouraged Bev to enter bodybuilding contests. She wasn't at all interested. She did do a posing routine at a powerlifting meet and she got plenty of applause. So I taught her a posing routine and gave her some tips about bodybuilding. I was there at the Opera House in 1980 when she brought the house down with her posing routine. You had to be there to witness this moment. Bill Reynolds had trained a woman who gave a posing routine before Bev. Nothing impressive. You know, back then, we didn't know what the public would think of a gal with big muscles. Well our fears were unfounded because that audience gave Bev one of the loudest ovations that night. Arnold and Franco emerged from the dressing room area to see what all the fuss was about. After the Olympia Franco gave a seminar at my gym in Sydney...Vince's Gym. After the seminar I took a few photos outside of Arnold with the fans. Arnold and Franco took Bev for a ride somewhere. I think Arnold wanted to know Bev's secret. By the way, Franco's seminar sucked. The guys who came were more interested in his chiropractic skills!
In 1983 George Butler was in Australia to recruit Bev for the sequel to Pumping Iron. This one was about the women. Roz, my ex, was Bev's manager at the time but Bev was seduced to enter the contest in Las Vegas. Heck I could have trained Bev here in Sydney. Nope, off she went to New York where they had local paper delivery stooge Weinberger look after Bev in New York. Bev trained with Steve Mechalik the high set using Mr Universe. Bev was about 180 pounds before she left and competed at about a ripped 165. Her body fat was something like 5%. We all know what happened. Ben Weider decided they couldn't let Bev win because that would be bad for women training with weights. So Bev was placed 8th. What a travesty. She never did win the Olympia partly because Lenda Murray showed up who had a more 'acceptable' body. In one contest Bev was ahead after the judging but lost to Lenda after the pose down. The Weiders know how to keep bodybuilding safe!
Well, Bev was a free agent in those days and I guess she was impressed with being in America. She hooked up with Steve and it wasn't long before they opened a gym on Long Island. Eventually they became the Mecca of bodybuilding on the East Coast. Bev had seen my big gym in Sydney and plenty of other gyms so had a good idea what a gym should be. Steve literally used Bev's name to succeed in the gym business. They did have two daughters, I believe. By the way, Bev used to send me copies of Ironman from New York. I tried emailing Bev but Steve read all her emails. That ass was a control freak. They came to stay at our house in Sydney when Ray Mentzer was living with us back in 1987 or 8. Roz and I slept on the uncomfortable sofa while Steve and Bev enjoyed our Kingsize waterbed. I took Steve, Bev, and Ray for a tour of Sydney stopping at Bondi Beach and a few other places. At the end of their stay at our house I told Steve I could stay at their place if I was ever in New York. He quipped, "Don't bother!". Yes, the dude was a complete jerk. Bev had to endure him by walking around egg shells.
I found out several years ago that Bev left Steve and had a girlfriend. She told Roz that it took her many decades to discover she preferred a woman. Well, good for Bev. She deserves to be happy and I can't imagine any sane woman putting up with a guy like Weinberger.
