There couldn’t be a more fitting name for Shawn Ray than Mr. Symmetry. Shawn Ray defined proportion and balance. It is mind boggling to think he didn’t win one Mr. Olympia title with a body like that. His vision to win audiences over with artistic display and proportion has been lost to the “mass” appeal despite his numerous top 5 place finishes in the Olympias. Known for his talkative mouth and open views, Shawn Ray had a career that ranks among the most impressive in bodybuilding’s history. However, he just was not able to place the Sandow on his mantle. He was packed with a ton of muscle mass, enough to rival any competitor, but moved audiences with his symmetry. He was a rare breed in bodybuilding, and one that is even more scarce now.
Shawn was the Co-Master of Ceremonies for the 2006 and 2007 Mr. Olympia Competitions held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shawn is the creator of the only charity fundraiser for professional bodybuilding, Vyo Tech Nutritionals presents: Shawn Ray’s CHOC Hospital Golf Invitational. Over the last ten years with the help of other pro fitness, figure and bodybuilding champions, as well as supplement companies and magazines, Shawn has helped raise and donate over $55,000.00 to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County by hosting this event annually at Black Gold Golf Club in Yorba Linda, CA.
Mr. Olympia Shawn Ray History
Ray competed in three different decades before retiring at age 36 in 2001. Although one of the most frequent competitors in the Mr. Olympia show, the winner’s title eluded him for his entire career. Nevertheless, Ray was a Top 5 Mr. Olympia Finalist for 12 Consecutive Years, a feat no other bodybuilder has duplicated.
In his whole career, Ray beat every competitor he met on stage at least once, with the exception of 8-Time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney and 6-Time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. At 5’7″, 210 lbs, Ray was called a Giant Killer, having to give up at least 40 to 50 lbs and 4–5″ to three of the sport’s most prolific bodybuilders, including Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, and Ronnie Coleman.
- 1988 Mr. Olympia – 13th Place
- 1990 Mr. Olympia – 3rd Place
- 1991 Mr. Olympia – 5th Place
- 1992 Mr. Olympia – 4th Place
- 1993 Mr. Olympia – 3rd Place
- 1994 Mr. Olympia – 2nd Place
- 1995 Mr. Olympia – 4th Place
- 1996 Mr. Olympia – 2nd Place
- 1997 Mr. Olympia – 3rd Place
- 1998 Mr. Olympia – 5th Place
- 1999 Mr. Olympia – 5th Place
- 2000 Mr. Olympia – 4th Place
- 2001 Mr. Olympia – 4th Place