Brandon Curry (born October 19, 1982) is an American professional bodybuilder who competes in the men's open bodybuilding division in the IFBB Pro League. He is the 2019 Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion.
Curry was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. He first became interested in weight training when he received a pair of Hulk Hogan-branded dumbbells for his sixth birthday.[2] Curry would later recall in a magazine interview that he was motivated by superhero action figure G.I. Joe and the Rocky and Rambo films to develop his body to its fullest muscular capacity.[2]
As a child, Curry's parents enrolled him in gymnastics classes, but he lost interest in the sport.[2] Curry was involved in wrestling, track and field and football while he was a student at Hunters Lane Comprehensive High School in Nashville.[3]
Curry attended Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he majored in exercise science. He initially played on the university's football team, but later left the team and switched his athletic focus to bodybuilding-related weight training.[3] Outside of bodybuilding, Curry works as a personal trainer. He divides his residency between Nashville and Oceanside, California.
Brandon Curry entered his first bodybuilding contest at 19 in 2000 and won not just the novice title but also the open overall.[4] In 2003, he won the 2003 Supernatural Bodybuilding Show.[citation needed] On June 17, 2006, he came in second in the light-heavyweight division at the NPC Junior National Championships; the five-foot-seven Curry weighed 189 pounds for that event. The following year, with 28 additional pounds added to his frame, he moved up to the heavyweight division for the NPC USA Championships on July 28, 2007, where he finished second in his division. On November 17, 2007, he came in second in the heavyweight division for that year's NPC National Championships.
In 2019, he won the Arnold Classic and cemented himself as one of the elite bodybuilders in the world with his win at the 2019 Mr. Olympia. His initial success was in 2011 Mr. Olympia competitions where he stood 8th on his first time coming to Olympia's Stage.[5] On July 25, 2008, Curry won both the heavyweight division and the overall of the NPC USA Championships, which secured him ranking as a professional bodybuilder.[5]
Curry married his long-time girlfriend, Brandy Leaver. The couple has one daughter, named Zoey Curry, and three sons, including Marvelous Curry.