JOANNE LEE was born on April 19th, 1967 in Billingham, Northern England. Her mother, a legal secretary and her father, an engineer/teacher provided Joanne and her brother, Simon, with a happy, stable environment. Simon, like his father, is an engineer, and holds a black belt in karate. Joanne's father is a former powerlifter which explains,in part, Joanne's athleticism as well as her interest in weightlifting.
Joanne began to show her competitive spirit in her teens. She ran the 100m logging speeds of 11.2 seconds. She excelled in the high jump as well, and was a National Champion in both events.
Conditioning for track and field required circuit training and this was Joanne's first encounter with weight training. At first, training with weights was gratifying simply as a challenge to top her previous best lifts. *See “BEST LIFTS”. But, she also enjoyed the way her body responded and eventually, decided that her sport of choice would be bodybuilding.
At age 18, she won the first contest she entered at a weight of 126 pounds, up 10 pounds from a few months earlier when she had begun serious training. Joanne has continued to compete for the last 13 years, only taking a rest (from the stage) for one year prior to this one. *See “COMPETITIONS”
After graduating from university (with honors) with a degree in business and finance, Ms. Lee was hired by British Steel. Soon after, she was promoted to work as an inspector. She was the first woman in England to hold the position of steel inspector in a time honored male dominated industry ... at the age of 23!
In 1992, at age 24, she left England,
her job, house, car and boyfriend, to go to the Gold Coast of Australia,
“on a whim”.
In the latter part of 1993, Joanne decided to return to
England for a visit. Her flight plan included a stop-over in Venice, California, otherwise
known as “The Mecca” (of bodybuilding). Southern California appealed to her and
she extended her stay. Four years latter, Joanne is still there working as a personal trainer
at world famous Gold’s Gym. She is also a certified massage therapist.
Joanne is 5’8” tall blue eyed blonde. She competes at a weight of around 175 pounds.
She weighs between 185 and 195 in the off season.
She enjoys travel and reading when
she has time off from her hectic work schedule.
Joanne recently collaborated with Physical Culture on a video that highlights her training with an in depth interview that discusses her training philosophy, how bodybuilding has influenced her life, her thoughts on competition and her future goals.
Additionally, several 8 x 10 photographs of Joanne are available which Joanne is happy to
personalize for you. She is available for guest appearances, seminars, product endorsements and
video/film work.
To receive ordering information on the video and photographs or to contact
Joanne for appearances you can write to her care of
Robin Parker / Physical Culture
5015 W. Sahara, Suite 125-228
Las Vegas, NV 89102-3463
+1 (702) 880-3855
or by e-mailing Robin at rpflex@ix.netcom.com.
Attention: Joanne Lee
Physical Culture
P.O. Box 777
Venice,
Ca, 90294-0777
U.S.A
Telephone inquiries may be make to Robin Parker at +1 (520) 544-2213
I.F.B.B. professional bodybuilder, Joanne Lee and Robin Parker have recently finished this collaborative video. Our intention was to showcase Joanne's physique in contest condition and to give you an “up close and personal” look at a remarkable woman. The workout segments of this video were shot 3 weeks after the 1996 Ms. Olympia. Joanne's condition for this shoot was superb; ripped, full and hard. You'll see her training each muscle group using a variety of exercises including chins, hack squats, biceps curls and donkey raises. In the accompanying interview she discusses her training philosophy, how bodybuilding has influenced her life, her thoughts on competition and her future goals. To be among the elite in a sport requires determination, dedication and drive. As you'll come to learn, high intensity is second nature for Joanne Lee. You're sure to be inspired by Joanne's beautifully sculpted body ... a body that could only be the product of years of discipline and hard work. I'm equally certain that you'll find her to be just as exceptional a person ... warm, genuine and “down to earth”.
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