Edward Charles Corney (November 9, 1933 – January 1, 2019) was an American

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...

bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic ...

. He won many prizes in his 30s, including Mr. Universe in 1972, and was featured in the 1977 bodybuilding

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'' Pumping Iron''. Known for his excellent posing routines, he continued competitive bodybuilding into his 60s, winning the 60+ division of the Masters Olympia twice. Corney was inducted in the International Federation of Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2004.

Early life

Corney was born on November 9, 1933, in

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, then in the

Territory of Hawaii The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi'') was an organized incorporated territories of the United States, organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from Apri ...

. After graduating from the

Saint Louis School Saint Louis School, located in the neighborhood of St. Louis Heights in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a historic Catholic college preparatory school for boys. It was founded in 1846 to serve Catholics in the former Kingdom of Hawaii. Located within the ...

in 1952, he served four years in the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

. After his service, he worked first as an aviation radio mechanic in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

, and then "a full-time bar owner and bouncer" in San Jose.

Bodybuilding career

Corney began bodybuilding at the age of 27 after being impressed with the physiques of an opposing volleyball team made up of bodybuilders. Standing at , Corney won the first contest he competed in, Mr. Fremont 1967, at the age of 33. In 1968, he added Mr. Heart of California, Mr. Northern California, Mr. Westerner, and Mr. Golden West to his amateur titles. In the 1970s, Corney continued to climb the bodybuilding ladder with wins at the 1970 Iron Man and the 1971 AAU Mr. California. He entered the professional ranks with wins at the 1971 IFBB Mr. USA and the 1972 IFBB Mr. America. His best career win came in 1972, capturing the IFBB Mr. Universe title in

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

, Iraq. He also won the IFBB Mr. America in 1972, and Mr. World in 1973 and 1974. Corney appeared in the 1977 bodybuilding documentary '' Pumping Iron''. In one scene, he collapses in exhaustion after an intense squat workout with training partner

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

. Later in the film, Schwarzenegger is enthralled watching Corney's disciplined posing routine, saying, "Can you believe that? I mean, that—''that's'' what I call posing!" Corney was also featured on the cover of the film's book companion, ''Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding'' by Charles Gaines and George Butler. Corney continued to compete in the 1980s. In a 1985 interview, he acknowledged using

steroids A steroid is an organic compound with four fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter mem ...

, though he attributed his success to "97 percent training and three percent steroids." In 1994, Corney won the 60+ division of the Masters Olympia. He won again in 1995, he was placed 11th overall in 1996, and he took second in the 60+ division in 1997. He also competed in 1998 in the only Masters event ever to be held at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic. Corney remained active in bodybuilding up until his death. He was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2004.

Personal life and death

In 1999, Corney suffered a heart attack while undergoing shoulder surgery, and subsequently suffered two strokes as an after-effect of his heart attack. Despite the health setbacks, he continued to train. Corney suffered a

brain aneurysm An intracranial aneurysm, also known as a cerebral aneurysm, is a cerebrovascular disorder characterized by a localized dilation or ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain due to a weakness in the vessel wall. These aneurysms can occur in an ...

on December 25, 2018, and died on January 1, 2019, at the age of 85 at his home in

Manteca, California Manteca is a city in San Joaquin County, California. The city had a population of 83,498 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census. It is part of the Stockton-Lodi, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Manteca is a city in the Ce ...

. Shortly after his death, former California Governor

tweeted, "Ed Corney was a jewel of a guy. He was one of the greatest posers bodybuilding has ever seen, and he was a fantastic training partner. He inspired me and I’ll miss him dearly. My thoughts are with his family."

Contest history

Source:

References

External links