Bikini O champ Courtney King and Angelica Teixeira, who avenged her 2016 O runner-up by beating King earlier this year at the Bikini International (by one point!), open up about their newfound rivalry.
COURTNEY KING Not doing something I’m truly passionate about. A goal for me beyond the stage would be to focus on the bigger picture by helping people with holistic nutrition and pursuing what I really want to do beyond competing.
ANGELICA TEIXEIRA I’m very close to my family, so to lose someone very close. So, you know, the only thing that I really fear in life is someone that I really love could die. Thank God that everybody is healthy.
IF I COULD CHANGE…
COURTNEY Not being such a people pleaser to everyone. I tend to do what other people want to do unless I put my foot down.
ANGELICA My feet! I don’t like my feet.
UNDER PRESSURE
COURTNEY Pressure fuels me. When you’re on top, everyone wants to knock you off. I did the Arnold, and I did have pressure. People were asking me, “Why are you doing the show?” I said, “To prove I could still do it!” I actually got second to Angelica, but that is gonna fuel me so much more moving forward. Don’t look outside at anyone else, stay in your own head, and just focus on yourself, you can push past pressure and produce results.
ANGELICA I don’t worry about who is going to be there. We have social media, of course, so I see other photos that come out. But I’m never trying to compare myself to them. I like to keep focused on myself and try to do my best.
DO THE CLAWS COME OUT?
COURTNEY I feel that the bikini division is the cattiest, where some girls won’t talk to one another. It’s like, why? I feel like, me, I get along with every single athlete. I’m never rude. That reminds me of high school stuff and not how I’d like to represent the IFBB.
ANGELICA Thank God, no. Backstage the feeling is nothing is ever going to happen until we line up—then, OK, it’s on. But when we’re backstage, we kind of have fun. So, I can’t complain. I’ve never had this problem.
GETTING R-E-S-P-E-C-T
COURTNEY I do feel like we’re getting more respect. I feel like the bikini girls are setting a more athletic but feminine look. It’s showing you can’t just go and do yoga and train a couple of times a week. We train five, six, or even seven times a week like any other athlete.
ANGELICA I think the respect is growing for sure. More people from outside the bodybuilding world come up and say how much they see how hard I diet, how dedicated I am, and how I’m giving it 100%.
FAKERS BEWARE
COURTNEY I don’t like to bash anyone. Whatever you think the ideal look of fitness is to you, whether it’s vegan, competing, having a fake butt—or whatever. Of course, I don’t think Photoshop sends the right message, because it portrays something fake or false to the audience. At the end of the day, as I said, whatever you think fitness should be is what you should follow.
ANGELICA I feel a little down sometimes, because I see some people faking the fitness lifestyle. I’m not saying everybody is like this, but some people put on gym clothes, act like they are going to exercise, but they aren’t. They take a [fake] picture and buy followers and do very well. Sadly, most people can’t see what’s going on. I like to go to the gym and build muscle. That’s why I love bodybuilding. I have nothing against these people, but at least be real. Like, “OK, I bought it; this is an implant.” Because if you are telling your followers and you’re giving them a booty workout to get a booty like yours, but you bought it, how is that a good message? Photoshop is also an issue. It gives the illusion of a perfect body. I go to the gym no less than five times a week, and it’ll never be perfect. With a touch of the mouse, [some of the stars on social media] will be perfect. A lot of followers believe it and give up.
