A typical day in the life of Mary Yockey holds no great surprises. "I get up around 7 and do chores," she says. "It gets the blood flowing; a little gardening, maybe." After that, she heads to the gym for her intense training. She then works a while in the early afternoon and returns to the gym to do cardio or practice her routine, usually not for less than two hours. But how she unwinds may indeed surprise you. "My boyfriend Ed and I ride the Harley," she says with a grin. "It's the greatest thing. We just love it! I've got the leather, I've got the chaps. We simply forget about everything and just ride."

What goes around comes around
True to herself, Mary has found happiness and fulfillment in competing, but the best part of her "job," she says, is offering support to those just getting started. "I really enjoy watching the amateurs, and it's very flattering how they look up to the pros. Sometimes they'll use part of a routine I did or wear outfits similar to what I've worn. I get such a kick out of it. But my favorite thing to do is to go backstage and talk to the girls. I like to hear about their goals, training programs and aspirations. It's great to be where I am and still be in touch with the amateurs."

Mary encourages those who strive to discover their talents. She stresses the importance of using what God has given each of us to the best of our abilities. When asked about her religious beliefs, she replies softly: "I'm spiritual in my own way. It's not important to me to claim one religion or faith; I tend to lead my life by example. We're here to live, learn and help each other."

Back to the future
Even before she could leave the Olympia stage that night in the desert city of high rollers and big dreams, someone mentioned the fact that no winner had ever returned to the competition to win a second time. Confronted with this reality, Mary makes an interesting and honest observation. "I think the reason no one has been able to repeat a win is because the sport is still developing. The judges are still trying to determine what the best look is," she explains. "We were on an upswing where the competitors kept putting on more and more size as the years went by. Now, I think it might be coming back this way a little bit. I just happened to hit it just right."

I couldn't conclude the conversation without asking the inevitable question: Will she return nonetheless? "You know when you have a baby and your family and friends come to visit you, and they all ask you the next day if you're going to have another one?" she asked right back. "You're just trying to adjust to the changes. Well, that's kind of how I feel right now. I don't know where I'll be in a year, but like I've said before, I'm always up for a good challenge. When I compete, I do my best and I do it to win. So if I feel like I can go in at my best next year, I will." 1  |  2  |  3    

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