“Behind every success is a strong, powerful woman,” said three-time Fitness Olympia champion Whitney Jones. That statement was an apt way to describe her guest on a recent episode of Femme Flex Friday. The Manion family has been connected to the sport of bodybuilding since the 1970s. Debra Amelio-Manion is the wife of famed photographer and founder of NPC News Online, JM Manion, and she said her connection dates back to childhood. she.
“I was 15 years old and my brother said I needed to exercise. My older brother worked out at the Manion’s Gym and JM worked there,” he recalled. “We went to the same high school. I was a freshman and he was a senior. My brother told JM to take care of me.”
They wouldn’t become a couple right away, but they started dating and were together for nine years before getting married. Amelio-Manion is also the mother of IFBB Pro League Vice President Tyler Manion. Even when she stayed at home and worked as a “domestic engineer”, she closely watched the growth of the IFBB Pro League. There are now 11 divisions in total that feature the best physical athletes on the planet. Jones asked her about the most exciting progression during that time, and she was quick to respond in favor of the women’s side of the sport.
“Personally, for me, it’s the six divisions for women. As a woman, we have something for everyone,” she told Jones proudly. “So we can please all the women, honestly, and that to me is the most exciting thing.”
Amelio-Manion shared more about how her husband initially courted her back in their high school days, as well as more about her role in the world of bodybuilding and fitness. To go www.wingsofstrength.net or subscribe to the Wings of Strength YouTube channel to watch this and all episodes of Femme Flex Friday when they premiere every Friday at 6pm ET.
