Serena Salis Decius-Norius is fast becoming a household name on the local and international bodybuilding scene.

The Italian-born wife of Bahamian pro bodybuilder Jimmy Norius returned from Boca Raton, Florida, on Sunday where she placed second in the Novice Class A bikini class and was fifth overall at the NPC Ultimate Grand Prix Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships on Saturday night.

The professional hair stylist said she liked the way her husband got her prepared for the competition. And despite the fact that she fell short of winning her category, she felt it will be the impetus for her to compete at a higher level in future competitions.

“I was really impressed with the show. I didn’t get first place this time. I got second and fifth place, but I felt my body was much better than the other girls,” said Decius-Norius, who noted that she’s getting adjusted to speaking English fluently and adopting to the Bahamian lifestyle.

“I think I went out there and I performed very well. I didn’t win, but I was pleased with how I performed. I think this will help me do better when I compete again.”

Not just because he was her husband and trainer, but from watching on the sidelines, Norius said it was obvious that his wife’s body trumped all of the other competitors.

She was beaten out by Rachel Pflasterer and was followed by Kimberly Giolembiewski in the novice competition.

In the overall category where Decius-Norius was fifth, Jenna Simon was the winner. “She had the best body on stage, but the judges said she was a little too conditioned and she had a little too much muscle for what they were looking for,” he pointed out.

“They gave her a second and a fifth, which was reasonable, but they felt she had a body of a pro and that wasn’t what they were looking for.”

As a couple, Norius said they compliment each other’s diet and that has been the key to Decius-Norius getting prepared for the competition. He noted that with the gyms being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, they spent a lot of time training and preparing their routine at home, which worked out in their favour.

“Her diet was on point, her posing was on point. She was very tight,” Norius stated. “In the photo of her on stage, you can see that she looked a lot better than the girl on her left, who got first place.

“The judges said she was a little too tight, hard and muscular for what they were looking for. They didn’t want to deny her so they gave her the second place and fifth overall. There were over 100 girls who competed.”

It was the second international competition for the petite 5-foot, 1-inch Decius-Norius.

In March, she made a successful debut as a bikini model at the NPC 2020 CJ Classic and Sunshine State Bodybuilding Bikini Physique Figure Fitness Classic that was held in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The 36-year-old blonde beauty captured the bikini A short class divisional title and placed second in both the bikini masters over 35 and the bikini novice, while getting third overall in the bikini open class.

Now the newly weds are preparing to travel to the Dominican Republic during the weekend of December 5-7 to compete in the Central American and Caribbean Championships, which for the first time will be split in two segments.

Decius-Norius, through her marriage, is hoping to be one of the competitors who will first represent the Bahamas in the CAC Championships. The competitors will then get a chance to compete on stage in a pro segment that Norius will participate in on the Sunday night.

The Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, headed by president Joel Stubbs, is still in the process of putting the team together to represent the Bahamas as they won’t have a national championship to select the team due to the coronavirus pandemic.