The "Golden Panther" of bodybuilding Denise Rutkowski — why no one will recognize the former champion

Professional athletes work on themselves to the limit of their capabilities, denying themselves a lot and often not caring about the consequences. And they can be the most unpleasant, especially where anabolic steroids are used. We know that bodybuilding puts a special imprint on the appearance of women. But the case of Denise Rutkowski (Denise Rutkowski) even against the background of all these nightmares looks special.

Denise Rutkowski was born on August 7, 1962 in Pennsylvania. She started doing sports at school, and after graduation she plunged headlong into the world of bodybuilding. By the age of 25, Denise was in excellent physical shape and easily won prizes at athletic championships in her own and neighboring states.

It is known that it is very difficult for women to gain muscle mass. The male hormone testosterone is responsible for this process in the body. Taking huge doses of steroids, Rutkowski achieved an incredible amount of testosterone in the body and her complexion was the envy of male athletes. Of course, it is impossible to become a bodybuilding star with the help of pharmaceuticals alone. Denise trained a lot and hard, sometimes even daily.

For the first time, as a serious bodybuilder, Rutkowski performed at the age of 26 at a competition in Texas. Her rivals were several dozen girls from different cities of the USA, Canada and Mexico. Denise confidently took first place and immediately became a sports star and the idol of thousands of Americans.

Then her career continued brilliantly. Rutkowski took only the first places and she had no equal. Only once in her entire career was she awarded third place. But this failure only spurred the athlete to even more intense training. The woman competed from 1988 to 1993 and was nicknamed the "Golden Panther" for the numerous cups and medals she won.

In 1992 Rutkowski moved from her native Pennsylvania to California. She certainly wanted to train at Gold's Gym, which was visited by many bodybuilding stars, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the new place, the athlete develops a stormy activity also as a philanthropist, participating in events for orphans and organizing excursions and concerts for them.

The new activity did not prevent Denise from preparing to participate in the 1993 U.S. Championships. She wins again, having received along with the prize a PRO-card confirming her professional level. In 1994 Rutkowski took a swing at the title of "Miss Olympia" and ... lost. No, she didn't stay somewhere in the semifinals, but took an honorable second place. But the athlete is not used to being second.

Once, failures only spurred her to go forward, but in this case, Denise's hands dropped. The performance, which she perceived as a defeat, was the last in the athlete's career. She was offered to prepare and perform in 1994. But Rutkowski unexpectedly entered a Christian college and became a preacher. She traveled around the USA and lit the fire of faith in people with her speeches. She turned out well, because Denise was well known and her fans lived in every state.

In 2001, Denise Rutkowski tried to return to the big sport. She even regained her former form and performed a couple of times. But she was haunted by failures and a year later the woman finally broke with bodybuilding. The "Golden Panther" disappeared from sight and was forgotten by everyone. Remember about the brilliant athlete only in 2012 and then for a very unpleasant reason. Denise was arrested by the police for resisting.

Perhaps this event would have gone unnoticed if not for the appearance of the detainee. It was impossible to recognize the champion in an elderly, overgrown peasant, exhausted by drug addiction. The police barely managed to identify Denise, who flatly refused to communicate with the guardians of the law. There is nothing strange about Rutkowski trying to remain anonymous. The appearance of her photo in the press caused a real furor!

Rutkowski didn't look like a woman at all. Years after stopping taking male hormones, her body has not been able to return to normal. Here we can add drug use, which led to the degradation of Denise and became the cause of mental illness. After her arrest, doctors diagnosed her with schizophrenia, and in the police file she was noted as an aggressive and inadequate person.

After serving a symbolic term, Rutkowski was released and disappeared again. Her next appearance occurred in 2018. The "Golden Panther" was again in the police because of a street fight and drugs in his pocket. This time she looked even less like a lady. What can I say, there is almost no human left in the former champion. A court was held, which sent Rutkowski to compulsory treatment for 6 months.

Fortunately, specialists were able to help Denise and return her to normal life. After quitting drugs and gaining some weight, Rutkowski became like a woman again. Of course, in a 69-year-old housewife, you can no longer recognize that "Golden Panther" from the 90s. But judging by the latest photos, Denise is quite happy with her measured life.