# Denise Rutkowski

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{{Short description|American professional female bodybuilder}}
{{Infobox bodybuilder
| name             = Denise Rutkowski
| image            = 
| image_size       = 180px
| caption          =
| nickname         = The Golden Panther, Raven<ref>{{cite web |url=http://femalemuscle.com/where-are-they-now-denise-rutkowski/ |title=Where Are They Now? Denise Rutkowski &#124; FemaleMuscle and TalkLive by Lori Victoria Braun |publisher=Femalemuscle.com |accessdate=2013-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918082954/http://femalemuscle.com/where-are-they-now-denise-rutkowski/ |archive-date=2013-09-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| birth_date       = 1962
| birth_place      = [Reading](/source/Reading%2C_Pennsylvania), [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania), U.S.<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| death_date       =
| death_place      =
| height           = {{height|ft=5|in=5}}<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| weight           = {{convert|140|-|155|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| firstproshow     = [IFBB](/source/International_Federation_of_BodyBuilders) Jan Tana Classic<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| firstproshowyear = 1993<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| bestwin          = IFBB Jan Tana Classic champion<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| bestwinyear      = 1993<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| predecessor      = [Nikki Fuller](/source/Nikki_Fuller)<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| successor        = [Sue Price](/source/Sue_Price)<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
| yesorretiredyear = Retired 2001<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />
}}

'''Denise Lynn Rutkowski''' is an American former [professional](/source/professional_bodybuilder) [female bodybuilder](/source/female_bodybuilding).<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />

==Bodybuilding career==
Her professional bodybuilding career was brief, and ended shortly after finishing 2nd in the Ms. Olympia contest in 1993. Her sudden retirement shocked the sport, as she was seen as an easy contender for the Ms. Olympia in 1994.<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />

===Contest history===
* 1988 NPC South Texas - 1st (MW)
* 1988 NPC Spring City Classic - 1st (HW)
* 1990 NPC Steel Rose - 1st
* 1990 World Gym Classic - 1st
* 1991 NPC Orange County Muscle Classic - 1st (HW & overall)
* 1991 NPC California State Championships - 1st (HW & overall)
* 1992 NPC Nationals - 3rd
* 1993 NPC USA Championships - 1st (HW & overall)
* 1993 IFBB Jan Tana Classic - 1st
* 1993 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski">{{cite web |url=http://www.frsa.com/pixfemuscle/denise.html |title=Denise Lynn Rutkowski |publisher=frsa.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218203628/http://www.frsa.com/pixfemuscle/denise.html |archive-date=2015-02-18 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musclememory.com/show.php?a=Rutkowski,+Denise&g=1 |title=Denise Rutkowski |publisher=musclememory.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-23}}</ref>

==Personal life==
During her bodybuilding career she arrived in San Diego, CA in 1989 from Texas and lived at Mission Beach while training at Gold's Gym Pacific Beach. She lived in San Diego until 1991, when she won the Orange County Muscle Classic and California State Championships, and thereafter moved to Venice, CA to train at Gold's Gym, [Venice Beach, California](/source/Venice_Beach%2C_California), and had an interest in improving the quality of life for underprivileged children in the neighborhood. She spent time traveling with youth from Venice, California to WWF shows, Disneyland, and sporting events.<ref name="Denise Lynn Rutkowski" />

In 1994, she went back home to [Fort Worth, Texas](/source/Fort_Worth%2C_Texas) and she entered Calvary Cathedral International Bible College for two years. By 1996, Rutkowski was going around the country spreading the word of God at various religious revivals. In 2001, Rutkowski started training again, and returned to a better physical condition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.getbig.com/almanac/women/women-r.htm |title=Rutkowski, Denise |publisher=getbig.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829165103/http://www.getbig.com/almanac/women/women-r.htm |archive-date=2015-08-29 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Television appearance===

In 1994, she had a brief appearance on the show ''[Dream On](/source/Dream_On_(TV_series))'', in the episode "[Blinded by the Cheese](/source/List_of_Dream_On_episodes)".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3788586/ |title=Denise Rutkowski |website=[IMDb](/source/IMDb) |access-date=2020-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216014903/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3788586/ |archive-date=2017-02-16 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutkowski, Denise}}
Category:1962 births
Category:Living people
Category:American female bodybuilders
Category:American people of Polish descent
Category:Professional bodybuilders
Category:Sportspeople from Fort Worth, Texas
Category:Sportspeople from Los Angeles
Category:Sportspeople from Reading, Pennsylvania
Category:Sportspeople from San Diego
Category:21st-century American women
Category:20th-century American sportswomen

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Denise Rutkowski](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denise_Rutkowski) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denise_Rutkowski?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.