| Shawn Ray |
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1983 Orange Coast Championships--2nd Short 1983 California Gold Cup--1st Overall 1984 Mr. Los Angeles NPC--3rd Middleweight 1984 Mr. Teenage Los Angeles AAU--1st Short & Overall 1984 Teenage Mr. California --1st Middle & Overall 1984 Teenage National Championships--2nd Middleweight 1985 Teenage Mr. Orange County--1st Short & Overall 1985 Teenage National Championships--1st Lightheavy & Overall 1985 Jr. World Championships--1st Lightheavy & Overall 1986 Jr. National Championships--2nd Lightheavy 1987 Mr. California--1st Lightheavy & Overall 1987 National Championships--1st Lightheavy & Overall 1988 Mr. Olympia--13th Los Angeles 1989 Inactive 1990 Pro Ironman Champion--1st Redondo Beach 1990 Arnold Classic--1st (disqualified) Ohio 1990 Mr. Olympia--3rd Chicago, IL 1991 Arnold Classic--1st Ohio 1991 Mr. Olympia--5th Orlando, FL 1992 Mr. Olympia--4th Helsinki, Finland 1993 Mr. Olympia--3rd Atlanta, GA 1994 Mr. Olympia--2nd Atlanta, GA 1995 Mr. Olympia--4th Atlanta, GA 1996 Pro Ironman--3rd Redondo Beach, CA 1996 Arnold Classic--5th Columbus, OH 1996 Mr. Olympia--2nd Chicago, IL 1997 Mr. Olympia--3rd Los Angeles, CA 1998 Mr. Olympia--5th New York, NY 1999 Mr. Olympia--6th Las Vegas, NV 2000 Mr. Olympia--4th Las Vegas, NV 2001 Mr. Olympia--4th Las Vegas, NV Shawn currently resides in Yorba Linda, CA, with his wife. They are expecting their first baby very soon. Update on the baby! Shawn and Kristie had a beautiful baby girl named Asia Monet! His credits include
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| 1) What's your favorite Scripture? And why? Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Um, I like the scripture where it says wide is the path and narrow is the door. Symbolic meaning because it says everyone can come to Him. At certain parts of your life when we are down we can call on Jesus as our Lord and Savior. At one point we all have to call on him. There is a wide sea of people but not everyone is going to get in. When we give account of our life and what we do in his name will be symbolic who get in. On the flip side, where Jesus is on the cross with the criminal who called on him and was with Him in paradise. That line of people even though it’s vast, only a few will get in. As I look back on my life, I spent a life living for Shawn Ray and now its living for the Lord. I now study and look for those nuggets that help me living day to day, minute to minute. It only takes that guy on the freeway to slip up. I constantly look for those nuggets. Just like there was not a favorite exercise to build my body, but several to get the right look. In the same way we need the word to build our spirit. 2) Who were your childhood heroes? Mohammed Ali is and was representative to me as an athlete. Martin Luther King, someone I never met but fought the good fight and stands out for me for different reasons. Martin Luther King struggled for other people not for himself. He changed the world. Bruce Lee as a actor, didn’t speak English but he did what no one had ever done. As a kid and as adult, I was conscious of them and emulated them. 3) If you could meet anyone from the Bible, who would it be and why? (not Jesus) Joseph was a lesson in discipline, faith and commitment. Any person under any other circumstances would have crumbled. He was thrown out by his own family, sold into slavery and rose to the top of the food chain. Even his running from Pottiffer was an example. He could have stood for the unjust accusation but he ran and took the chance, stepped out. He changed the course of history. He didn’t quit and let circumstances get him down but he kept on. He was one of God’s students, allowing suffering to result in rewards. We are all called to suffer and pick up our cross. 4) What is a typical day in your life like? We have a baby on the way so I am preoccupied with being the man and woman in the house. I also am involved in four bible studies. I spent a lifetime of waking up going to the gym and then sleeping and feeding my body. Now I feed my soul. I wake up and read my bible, go to bible study, come home and make breakfast for my wife. We are making a new house together. When my wife got pregnant, I started looking for a house and we are building it together, Decorating the baby’s room, my room, frontyard, backyard, all of that. It’s a huge project for me. At 6:00 am bible study, come home make breakfast for my wife and then errands and everything that needs to be done. We are in that "waiting stage" of the pregnancy, waiting for our baby. I am also putting on a charity golf tournament (1st Annual Shawn Ray Pro Fitness Golf Invitational Proceeds Benefiting CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County) in Yorba Linda this Friday. It’s very busy like putting on a contest, guest baskets, reservations, sponsors. It’s been a blessing that for the past 8 months I haven’t worked out or been to the gym. I am working with Stronghold ministries and Rock Community Church. I’m building the inside now. Part of my ministry has been before the major shows, we independently pray with the competitors, before the Arnold and the Olympia in the name Jesus Christ. Also the women, the fitness and figure competitors, we also lift them up in prayer. Woven into the bodybuilding fabric, it’s all done in the name of Jesus. Not all are receptive to that because there are so much other stuff out there, more fashionable stuff. But we always start out with prayer. It has brought other bodybuilders to Jesus and brought him into their lives. 20 years ago I would not have been in this position to do this but I have now become a tool. I have been blessed 10 fold by being able to see people come to the Lord. Bodybuilding is such a vanity sport and I have been judged even down to my personality but God uses me for my thick skin. He has put these things on my shoulders and given me the word’s to speak to these people and being an example. We all can look back and wished we have done things different. I wish I would have picked up a bible when I picked up a dumbbell. I wished I had come to the Lord sooner but the time was not right. I had to go through things to get to here. I have taken a hiatus from bodybuilding to balance things, strengthen and seek Him out. A friend in Arkansas once sat me down and asked me if I had a relationship with Jesus Christ and where I would spend eternity. I said, "of course !" but knowing him and making him your Savior is totally different. Living for Him is totally different. It’s not religion. Athletes block out a lot, family, friends, spiritual relationship for their physical well being. It’s not all about me, and I don’t care about my appearance anymore. There was a sea of people who had been praying for me. I had knocked on the door and it was open. I started back on day one and all I could do was read, the living Word of God. I have been in the word a few years, I guess I am a Jesus Freak. I have just been asked to be a representative for Vyotech Nutritionals. This weekend after the tournament we are going to the Harvest Crusade, Greg Lory which should be great. 5) What Biblical figure do you most identify with. Probably Saul, I would say I was a hard person, I didn’t persecute people but maybe Peter would be closer. I think that I was just going about my business doing my job and not paying attention to anything but when I got exposure to Jesus. I picked it up and ran with it. When I do something I lead the way. In the same way Peter was a leader. He was the first one to run into the tomb, first to deny Christ and also the first to say he would die for him. He was human. Sometime we fall short, I would love to have the same blessing as him. He was a leader not a follower. He knew who Jesus was but he wasn’t perfect. We can all be taken down with the best intentions. You have to meditate on the word and know Satan is out there to challenging us. Our flesh is weak. You see the love Jesus had for him with his forgiveness of him. We are all susceptible to sin and God can use that. At certain times Jesus humbled him. There is going to be sufferings. Peter rebuilt after each trial and suffering. It shows us what we are going to do when we fall. Pick ourselves up dust off and go on. He thought he had blown it totally but he was still the first on in the tomb. Jesus knows we are going to blow it but we need to focus on Him. 6) What trait do you like most about yourself? I can recognize who I am. Some people don’t know what they’re roll is. As a kid, I was always the top of my game. In sports and I was always a leader. My task has always been a leader. I don’t wait for things to happen, I make it happen. I ask all the questions and get the knowledge. Solve the problem, take the bull by the horns. When I see things wrong I want to right them. I like that I am a leader because I can’t deny it. 7) What trait do you like least? In being a leader, it’s hard for others to get a word in edge wise. I am working on being a better listener. When you have a certain idea and it’s hard for others to tweak it when you don‘t listen. The bible study classes have helped me to be a better listener. I have learned to implement being the last to speak instead of the first. The quiet ones get asked their opinion. That is the person who absorbs the pros and cons and knows the whole picture. 8) How have you been able to represent God in your sport? I want people to remember me as a representative of Jesus Christ and not Mr. Olympia. We are here but a moment and there for an eternity. I want them to say I met Shawn Ray and he shared Christ with me not he helped me get bigger. I am a seed planter and working to spread the Word of God. When my time comes I want to be prepared, He tells us to be prepared. As part of my preparation, I am praying and sharing with other bodybuilders. I don’t think I will ever be a pastor, if that is my path then that’s ok. But I will be a good disciple. I am here to instruct. Feed my sheep is what He said. I am feeding them what I learn. Taking care of the sheep. I am praying that when I am done with my interest in bodybuilding, I hope that I give them more of Him and less of me, His wisdom and knowledge. That’s why I am learning more so that I can give. Vanity is a sinful platform that they are on. It is so "me" generation that they are in. In the trenches it is very dark, I want to be the one who lead them to light, show them there is a light. 9) If you could change one thing in your sport, what would it be ? Obviously it is the drugs. I would love to go back in time and put the Genie back in the bottle. There is enough to worry about with food and free weights and when you throw chemical warfare into the mix it takes the health and fitness out of the game. I would like to see better overall testing for Insulin, Pro-Hormone, anabolics, diuretics and lists goes on. 10) If you were to die today and go to heaven, what would you like to hear God say? The cliché is well done good and faithful servant. I would like to think he would say "I am glad you heard my call." In my world, I played my music loud, self absorbed. I have an ability to focus and tune things out. God doesn’t speak in a loud megaphone voice though and somewhere along the line you have to try and hear it. Hearing that would be great because you have to hear and obey. |
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First of all, I would like to thank Shawn for the incredible interview. I was so inspired by your fervency and passion for the Lord. I only wished I could have typed faster and got every word you spoke. God is lifted up in your words and your testimony is a great encouragement to others. We would recommend that everyone visit his site, it’s loaded with great stuff. Congratulations on the new baby. Let us know when the big day arrives! Your family is in our prayers! Bobby and Val |
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