Juliette Bergmann

Early years and education

Bergmann (born Juliette Maria Suzanna Bergmann) was born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands, from a Dutch mother and an Indonesian father. She is one of five children, with one older brother, two younger brothers and one younger sister (three brothers and one sister). Her younger sister is a bodybuilder much like herself. During her childhood she lost two brothers, causing much grief to her mother, who laid a larger responsibility on Juliette, the oldest living child. That period in her life, she believes, made her a disciplined and responsible person.

After finishing school she went on to study financial management, journalism and fitness training. She got married (married name – Meijer) in 1975, but divorced in 1985.

Amateur career

She began training in bodybuilding to lose weight in 1981 with her ex-husband after attending a female bodybuilding contest where she got a very good impression of the competitors. In 1982, she would enter her first competition, where she placed first. In 1983, she decided to become a bodybuilder after she visited a bodybuilding contest in 1983 and noticed how good the girls looked.

1984-2000

In 1984, she won the Dutch National Championship and repeated as champion in 1985. Later that same year she qualified for the World Amateur Championship, where she achieved first place. By the end of 1985 she competed in her first Ms. Olympia, but did poorly with a 14th placing. However, she achieved significant success in 1986 by winning the Pro World Championship, placing second (by one point) in the Ms. International, and sixth in the Ms. Olympia. At the 1988 World Pro Championships, just an hour before the show, she was told that she tested positive in the drug test and wad disqualified. After 1989, she planned to take a year off from competition and compete again in 1991, but her plans were derailed when she suffered a badly broken ankle from a (Doberman) dog attack. She was not able to train seriously again for a couple of years. Since 1991, she has been a pro-judge and secretary/treasurer of the NBBF (Dutch Bodybuilding and Fitness federation).

2001-2003

In 2001, Bergmann returned to competition after a twelve-year absence, during which she worked as an IFBB judge. Entering the Ms. Olympia contest, she took first place in the lightweight class, and defeated heavyweight class winner Iris Kyle to win the overall title, the only time in Ms. Olympia history the lightweight class winner has won the overall title. She repeated as the Ms. Olympia lightweight class winner in 2002 and 2003, losing the overall title to Lenda Murray both years.

Retirement

After the 2003 Ms. Olympia, Bergmann retired from bodybuilding.

Legacy

Currently, Bergmann is the most successful Dutch bodybuilder in the world, by being the only Dutch bodybuilder to win the Ms. Olympia. From October 26, 2001 to February 28, 2003, she ranked 1st on the IFBB Women's Bodybuilding Professional Ranking List. Bergmann has been cited as the "Grecian Ideal" wherein biceps, calf and neck measurements are similar as are waist and thigh measurements. In January 2009, Juliette was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame. Since 2009, she became president of the IFBB in the Netherlands (Dutch Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation), director IFBB Thailand, a member of the I.F.B.B. executive council, and chairwoman of the EBFF fitness committee.

Contest history

Personal life

In 1985, she moved to Middelharnis, Netherlands, where she lived with her sister and friend. She had a publishing company, travel agency, and attends Ironman Gym. When she is not traveling, she is at the office during the daytime and in the evenings works at the gym. She travels a lot and also does a lot of guest posing. She currently lives in Netherlands and Thailand with her partner.