Tonya Knight

Bodybuilding career

Professional Knight finished fourth in the 1988 Ms. Olympia, but she later admitted sending a surrogate to take a mandatory drug test administered before the event after IFBB officials presented strong evidence. In a ruling handed down in November 1989, she was suspended, stripped of her 1989 Ms. International title (which went to runner-up Jackie Paisley) and asked to return her 1989 Ms. International and 1988 Ms. Olympia prize money, totaling $12,000. After the scandal, she returned to the stage in 1991, winning the Ms. International title, this time without incident. She went on to compete in only two more pro contests, the last in 1993.

Legacy Knight remains the only Ms. International winner to lose one of her titles. She was inducted into the 2011 IFBB Hall of Fame.

Personal life and death Knight lived in Overland Park, Kansas. She was married to the bodybuilder John Poteat, but they divorced. She had three brothers Timothy, Todd, and Travis, and a son. Malachi.

Television appearance From 1989 to 1992, Knight was a regular on American Gladiators as the character Gold, until she left due to an injury to her left knee.