Sergio Oliva
Born July 4, 1941
Guanabacoa, Cuba

Sergio Oliva, "The Myth", was a member of the Cuban weightlifting team. While the squad was in Jamaica for the Pan American Games in 1962, Sergio defected and made his way to the United States, eventually taking up residence in Chicago.

Once there, he became a police officer and briefly continued to compete in lifting events before concentrating on physique exclusively. After winning the IFBB Mr. World in 1966, Sergio entered the IFBB Mr. Olympia that same year but had to give ground to Larry Scott.

After that, however, with his huge full muscle bellies, tiny joints, fine proportions and sensational mass, Sergio began to be thought of as unbeatable. Sergio won the IFBB Mr. Universe in 1967 and went on to sweep the IFBB Mr. Olympia titles in 1967, 1968 and 1969, beating Arnold Schwarzenegger for his victory in '69. Arnold turned the tide in 1970 though, beating Oliva as he would again in 1972.

Following that defeat, Sergio did not compete under the IFBB banner again until 1984 when, at 43 years of age, he placed 8th at that year's IFBB Mr. Olympia. He finished 8th again in 1985, and that marked the end of a career for a man who will always carry the enigmatic nickname of "The Myth". Sergio still resides in Chicago.

Albert Beckles
Born July 14, 1930 (or 1938)
Bridgetown, Barbados

First mistakenly introduced to British readers of Health & Strength in January 1957 as "Al Bickers", it is now his age that causes a little confusion: Al asserts he was born in 1930, but some early reports suggested 1938 as his birth year. Whatever his age, Beckles has been in phenomenal shape for five decades.

Born in Barbados, he emigrated to London, where in the mid-'60s he began winning regional British titles, before taking the 1969 and 1970 NABBA Mr. Britain titles (which were awarded in 1970 and '71). Later in '71, he joined the IFBB, earning the overall at that year's IFBB Mr. Universe. His high-peaked biceps and crisp overall appearance have been his trademark throughout his career.

Al has been one of the most active participants ever Ð suiting up to pose down in more than 100 different contests. In 1982, he took the Big Apple's big enchilada, winning the Night of Champions. Beckles' record-setting 13 forays into the IFBB Mr. Olympia (Shawn Ray is nearest with 12) have yielded six placings among the top five, including coming second in 1985 to Lee Haney at twice Haney's age.

Beckles' most recent win was a decade ago when he sent the other competitors at the 1991 Niagara Falls Pro Invitational tumbling to the rocks below. His retirement following the Chicago Pro Invitational on May 9, 1992, ended a competitive career spanning five decades. Never known as one who bickers, Beckles is forever the British gentleman.

Lee Labrada
Born March 8, 1960
Cuba

Labrada was born in Cuba at a time when Fidel Castro was freshly entrenched. When Lee was two, his grandmother fled with him to the United States. Lee's parents followed later. He moved from Chicago, Illinois, to Jacksonville, Florida, where his first contest yielded a victory at the 1978 Teen Mr. Jacksonville. He stood above the others at 5'6" and at a "gigantic" 130 pounds!

By 1979, Labrada had moved to Houston, Texas, to finish his bachelor's degree in engineering and to build one of the best bodies ever to be seen on a physique stage.

After several attempts at earning a pro card, Labrada finally achieved that goal by winning the middleweight class at the 1985 World Amateur Championships in Sweden.

One of the shorter professionals to compete in the modern era of the IFBB, Labrada won eight of his 25 contests - including a pro debut victory at the 1986 Night of Champions. In his 25 pro contests, he never placed out of the top five and in 21 of those events, he was in the top three! Labrada entered the Mr. Olympia each year from 1987 to 1993, and he was the runner-up to Lee Haney in 1989 and 1990.

Labrada's worst placing was at his farewell competition - he was fifth at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in 1995. After that, he directed his energies into what has become the Labrada Nutrition company, which is very successful, and he has a family life that sets a good example for all.

Rick Wayne
Born January 27, 1938
Saint Lucia

First bit by the bodybuilding bug on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, Learie Carasco (a.k.a. Rick Wayne) pursued a bodybuilding career after immigrating to England in 1961.

In 1963, at age 25, Wayne placed sixth at the FIHC Mr. Universe contest. In the July 1964 issue of MUSCLE BUILDER, he was hailed as "England's Music-Muscle Man" because of his nightclub singing act in London. Later that year, he won the tall class at the Mr. Europe and placed second in the tall class at the Mr. Universe in Paris. In 1965, he won the short-class title at the IFBB Mr. Universe, held in conjunction with the first-ever Mr. Olympia. He went on to earn the 1967 IFBB Mr. Universe short-class title, as well as the overal at the 1967 Mr. World. He won the 1969 Mr. Universe and the 1970 Mr. World medium-class titles.

By then, his writing abilities were widely recognized. In 1970, he became editor-in-chief of MUSCLE BUILDER and worked on and off for Joe Weider for the next 17 years. When FLEX was a one-year-old fledgling, Wayne came aboard as editor-in-chief to invigorate it, and so its climb to eminence began.

By 1987, Saint Lucia's siren song was summoning him home, and he returned to begin his own publishing dream - unrelated to bodybuilding. As the publisher of the island's Star newspaper, he is currently rumored to be running for the prime minister of his homeland.

Wayne fashioned a unique place for himself on the bodybuilding landscape as one of the best - if not the best - writers the sport has known, with literary skills matched by accomplishments on the posing platform.