Sue Gafner (born 1964 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is a former professional female bodybuilder of the late 1980s and early 1990s.Sue Gafner competed as an amateur in the light-weight competitive division for several years in the late 80s until she moved the middle weight class at the national class level of competitive bodybuilding in the early 90s. Gafner earned her pro card in 1990 by winning the middle weight class at the NPC Nationals. She competed as a professional from 1991 through 1993. She was the first winner of the Jan Tana Classic in 1991. As of 2008 she resides in the Tampa / St. Petersburg area of Florida where she lives with her husband while working as an independent management consultant specializing in financial compliance.
Sue Gafner was born in 1964 in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. When she was young her family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she grew up, and eventually moved to Southern California where she settled along with her family in Orange,California. At the age o in January 1987, she was introduced to weight training through the book Hardbodies by Glady Portugues and began to lift at a local gym (Brainum, 166). She took up weight training mainly to lose weight. During this time weight training was becoming a more and more popular with women and soon Sue became very interested in it along with better nutritional practices. Her body responded quickly and before she knew it she got hooked on the bodybuilding life style. During this time she began following a stricter diet and soon began to think about competition. Gafner gathered her training knowledge from a variety of sources, including Hardbodies and received guidance from some of the members at her gym who offered her tips on training and dieting.
She finally decided to compete after three months of training when people at her him began suggesting that she should try competition. Sue decided to do so and on April 1987 she entered her first contest. She won her class at the 1987 Palm Springs Muscle Classic Novice contest, and followed her debut with a victory at the 1987 Tournament of Champions where she won both her class and overall. She continued training, but ran into trouble due to her lack of knowledge about dieting and exercise and often overtrained (Brainum, 223). This soon changed when Sue joined with a more experienced bodybuilder named Lisa Hitchens. Lisa taught Sue about how to train properly and this was very helpful for Sue and it showed in her competition. Gafner placed 1st in the light weight division at the 1988 USA Championships and 2nd on the 1989 NPC Nationals. She later decided to enter the middle weight class and placed 1st at the NPC Nationals, earning her Pro card in only a three year period. She continued to compete meanwhile she managed her own wall-papering business and worked as a wall-paper hanger.
She finally decided to compete after three months of training when people at her him began suggesting that she should try competition. Sue decided to do so and on April 1987 she entered her first contest. She won her class at the 1987 Palm Springs Muscle Classic Novice contest, and followed her debut with a victory at the 1987 Tournament of Champions where she won both her class and overall. She continued training, but ran into trouble due to her lack of knowledge about dieting and exercise and often overtrained (Brainum, 223). This soon changed when Sue joined with a more experienced bodybuilder named Lisa Hitchens. Lisa taught Sue about how to train properly and this was very helpful for Sue and it showed in her competition. Gafner placed 1st in the light weight division at the 1988 USA Championships and 2nd on the 1989 NPC Nationals. She later decided to enter the middle weight class and placed 1st at the NPC Nationals, earning her Pro card in only a three year period. She continued to compete meanwhile she managed her own wall-papering business and worked as a wall-paper hanger.
