Corinna Kneuer (born January 4, 1958), best known by her stage name Cory (or Corey) Everson, is an American female bodybuilding champion and actress, born in Racine, Wisconsin. She won the Ms. Olympia contest six years in a row between 1984 and 1989.
Corinna Kneuer attended Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Illinois, where she was a four sport star (gymnastics, track & field, badminton, and swimming). She majored in interior design at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she also won four Big Ten pentathlon championships.
While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, she met Jeff Everson, a competitive bodybuilder who worked there as a strength coach. They married in 1982.
Cory Everson began to train seriously as a bodybuilder after her graduation, and made rapid progress. In the early years, she and Jeff trained at Ernie’s Gym on Sherman Avenue in Madison.
Contest history
* 1980 Ms. Mid America – 1st (Tall and Overall)
* 1980 American Couples – 3rd
* 1981 Ms. Midwest Open – 1st (Tall & Overall)
* 1981 Ms. Central USA – 1st (HW and Overall)
* 1981 Couples America – 1st
* 1981 American Championships – 11th (MW)
* 1982 Ms. East Coast – 1st (MW)
* 1982 Bodybuilding Expo III – 2nd (MW)
* 1982 Bodybuilding Expo Couples – 2nd
* 1982 AFWB American Championships – 5th (HW)
* 1982 IFBB North American – 1st (MW and Overall)
* 1982 IFBB North American Mixed Pairs – 1st
* 1983 Bodybuilding Expo IV – 1st (MW and Overall)
* 1983 Bodybuilding Expo Mixed Pairs – 1st
* 1983 U.S. Bodybuilding Championships Couples – 1st
* 1983 AFWB American Championships – 8th (HW)
* 1983 NPC Nationals – 2nd (HW)
* 1984 American Women’s Championships – 1st (HW and Overall)
* 1984 NPC Nationals – 1st (HW and Overall)
* 1984 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
* 1985 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
* 1986 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
* 1987 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
* 1988 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
* 1989 IFBB Ms. Olympia – 1st
Aside from her six consecutive Ms. Olympia titles, Everson holds the distinction of being the only woman with an undefeated record in professional bodybuilding competition.
Awards and honors
In January 1999, aged 40, Everson was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Muscle Beach Venice Body Building Hall of Fame on September 5, 2005.
At the 2007 Arnold Classic she became the first woman to be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Film and television career
After retiring from competition, Everson entered acting. Her first major movie appearance was in Double Impact (1991) alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme. In it she plays Kara, a ruthless muscular henchwoman to the main badguy. This involves a number of impressive fight scenes, most notably a final one with Van Damme. She took a minor role in Natural Born Killers (1994). Then in Ballistic (1995), (known in some countries as Fist of Justice) she reprises the evil musclewoman role with bravado. This time she loses the final epic fight to Marjean Holden playing an undercover cop.
Everson has made a number of TV guest appearances, most notably playing Atalanta on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
Everson was the original host of the fitness show BodyShaping, which she also produced. She also hosted her own exercise show on ESPN, Cory Everson’s Gotta Sweat, for seven years.
Books authored
* Superflex: Ms. Olympia’s Guide to Building a Strong & Sexy Body Contemporary Books (1987) ISBN 0809248654 with Jeff Everson
* Back in Shape Houghton Mifflin Company (1991) ISBN 0395562724 with Stephen Hochschuler
* Cory Everson’s Workout Perigee Trade (1991) ISBN 0399516840 with Jeff Everson
* Cory Everson’s Fat-Free & Fit Perigee Trade (1994) ISBN 0399518584 with Carole Jacobs
* Cory Everson’s Lifebalance Perigee Trade (1998) ISBN 0399524444