The various Animalian games were more than simply showing how athletic Animalians could be. They also pushed the limits of per-established sports in new directions that might be considered impossible before. No better example was there than the IAC Bodybuilding Competition. The competitors were able to build up their muscles beyond what most humans could do, but that wasn't the most intriguing parts. Proving their muscles were more than just for show was blazing new trails for the sport. Breaking stone and bending metal was definitely an impressive feat, but there was a particular event that almost totally new for bodybuilding.
Typically, bodybuilding was divided into just male and female divisions. But the inclusion of the couples division brought a new aspect to the competition. And it wasn't simply having a male and female pair of bodybuilders posing together. They had to move in synchronization, alternatively lifting each other up in different poses. Quite obviously, this particular competition requires more than most bodybuilding competitions. It requires agility, flexibility, balance, teamwork, and possibly rarest of all, absolute trust in your partner. Trusting may sound simple, but during the competition, they weren't supposed to speak with each other and they had to trust that their partner knows exactly what to do without need encouragement and won't fumble their part. Such wordless understanding did not come as easy to plenty of people.
But no one better exemplified these traits than Anton Williams and his wife Marlysa. It would have been simple for Anton to reenter the bodybuilding game in just the male division and Marlysa had certainly bulked up enough to enter the female division. But as soon as the couple division was announced, they spent all their own practice time preparing for it. It was not easy. This kind of display was completely new for Anton and he had doubts that he'd be able to perform. But this time, it was Marlysa who was the instructor, showing her husband how to fully utilize his iguana flexibility. But once Anton got the hang of it, their progress went a lot more smoothly. Their love was a very strong one and it allowed them to build their trust and faith in one another, knowing that the other won't allow them to fall.
The couples challenge was originally conceived as simply a demonstration of strength, balance, and flexibility, of simply allowing the female to balance on her partner's hand with one leg and lifting the other as high as it could go. But the challenge soon evolved into something much more involved. There was a specific set of poses for the couples to go through, but a little bit of free-form was allowed. For instant, there was no set order for the movies to be made in and the transition from one pose to the next was up to the couple.
Needless to say, the actual competition was harder than the standard bodybuilding trials. Few couples had the strength and flexibility required for this competition, let alone the absolute trust required to make this without speaking. But Anton and Marlysa were not daunted by the prospect. It was rather amazing to watch them go through their acrobatic display. And it was not just Anton was doing all the holding. Marlysa allowed Anton to hang off of her on more than one occasion. One might think their large tails would get in the way of their performance, but that was not the case. Their tails were just as much a part of their movements as their arms and legs. And of course, their display allowed all their finely-detailed muscles to be shown as they moved together.
It hardly came as a surprise for them to win the gold medal for the couples competition. They weren't quite acrobats, but they definitely showed all the skills to prove their bodies weren't just solid muscles. The other competitors of their division didn't begrudge them. In fact, it was hard to find any bodybuilders who didn't want the Williams to win. Considering how much they've help the others get ready for this competition in the first place, there was almost no reason for anyone to not feel gratitude towards them. And no one could say they didn't earn it. Absolute trust like that was not something that could be faked.