Retired bodybuilder and former TCC student Antione Williams came to TR Campus Oct. 19 to speak on his experiences and career in bodybuilding.
The event was a collaboration between the behavioral sciences and kinesiology departments as part of the latter’s “Fitober,” a monthlong series of events involving different areas of health and wellness.
“Dr. [Wafeeq] Sabir and I have been speaking for a while about bringing our two worlds together,” said Melanie Rose, TR kinesiology department chair and assistant professor. “It was perfect because we can plug the rest of Fitober, but since we’re talking about bodybuilding, we have other classes that you can continue this conversation in weight training or intro to physical fitness and wellness.”
Williams shared key moments of his bodybuilding career, which spanned over a decade, through a presentation and Q&A with Rose.
Williams said he was inspired by his mother’s work ethic and discipline. He grew up watching her train for bodybuilding competitions.
“I would go to the gym with her and watch her train and lead all the way up to her show,” he said. “Just watching her, you know, go to work and then get off from work and still have to go do some more work but in the gym.”
The Europa Super Show, hosted at the Dallas Convention Center, was Williams’ first ever show. He placed as a runner-up, which he said is not an easy feat.
“That was the biggest show in Texas at the time,” Williams said. “I fell in love with the reward.”
After his knee replacement surgery, Williams said he was afraid he couldn’t continue competing in bodybuilding.
student Monica Ledesma about the demands of professional bodybuilding. (KELLY AMTOWER)
“I thought I was done, but they created the men’s physique division,” Williams said. “A friend of mine, she’s a bodybuilder and also a coach, and she was telling me about it. She was like, ‘You would kill this sport if you did men’s physique.’”
Wafeeq Sabir, TR department chair of behavioral sciences and professor, said he and Williams date back to their time together in the police force.
“I knew [him] when he was going through the bodybuilding and making it all the way to Mr. Olympia,” Sabir said. “Being in this position now as department chair, I just felt like, ‘You know what? That would probably be a cool thing to have a professional competitor talk about health and wellness and what they had to go through to make it to that initial level”
Mr. Olympia is an annual competition hosted by the International Fitness and Body building Foundation. Williams qualified for the competition in 2017 and said it was surreal to be there in general.
Williams had a word of advice to those interested in getting started with bodybuilding but said the lesson can be applied to other areas of life, too.
“The biggest [takeaway] I could say is not comparing your chapter one to someone’s Chapter 20, and understanding that, you know, it’s not going to be instant gratification,” Williams said. “But what you’re doing as far as life goes, as far as being a student, there’s an end goal. You just got to stay consistent and committed to doing it. Everything that you do now is for the bigger goal.”
