KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 ― Relationships can be tough and having differences is one factor which causes us to drift away from our other half.

But when passion collides with a relationship, it can be near perfect and that is what Terry Gallyot and Lilian Tan are all about.

The couple ― who recently tied the knot on March 3 ― are two of Malaysia’s most renowned bodybuilders with trophies to match their legacy status.

“Marriage was already long in the books but we had to look at our finances closely and it just happened to be this year,” Gallyot said. 

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During his peak Gallyot captured the 1999 Mr Asia along with six Mr Malaysia titles while Tan is a three-time world bodybuilding champion (2012, 2014, 2016).

Both share an equal amount of passion for the sport and understand the mechanics it takes to win a competition, just as much as they love one another.

According to them, the relationship could not get any more perfect.

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“Honestly speaking, I’d never thought I’d end up with a bodybuilder. Generally men often crave for looks but not me.

“A lot of my friends ask me, “Bro, buff woman can ah?” (Don’t you feel weird dating a muscular woman?)

“I just smile and walk away. It is something I’m used to seeing and Lilian’s physique is truly one of a kind,” said the 49-year-old.

Interestingly, the two did not meet during a bodybuilding competition but through Facebook in December 2008.

“I came across her profile and decided to add her as a friend. Prior to that a Malaysian bodybuilding official passed her my number as she needed guidance on how to represent Malaysia at a competition.

“We started chatting on Facebook more often and slowly I felt that she could be more than just a friend to me,” Gallyot said.

In March 2009, their relationship got more serious and the duo would set some time from their hectic training to chat with each other some 13,000km apart.

Tan was in California while Gallyot was in Kuala Lumpur, but the 16-hour time difference did not stop them.

In 2009, Tan travelled back to Malaysia to support Gallyot at the 2009 Mr Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

“When I first met her, I fell in love with her even more. Her personality, her smile and everything else about her put a smile in my face.”

He finished second that year but finally meeting Tan made him feel like a champion.  

“Now that we are married our support for one another is even greater.”

Fast forward, the married couple live in Wangsa Maju ― about 3km from their second home, Ultimate Gym-serious fitness.

“Lilian moved in with me in 2012 and we’ve definitely been a stronger unit since,” Gallyot said.

Tan, meanwhile, said Gallyot is her pillar of strength.

“There are many times where it gets challenging but he is always there,” she said.

“Whether it’s a piece of advice or a romantic gesture, he always knows what’s best.”

Of her relationship in the early days, she said she enjoyed her chats with Gallyot but tried “avoiding” him at times.

“He kept going on and on about bodybuilding and during that time, I didn’t really train much,” said the 45-year-old.

“One day after a long chat, he went, ‘Why don’t you come home and marry me?’ and I was stunned as he’s only just got to know me.”

“Sometimes we chatted up to six hours and my phone bills skyrocketed. Suddenly the idea of marrying Terry was closer to reality.

“So I told my mom that I’m coming back to Malaysia to marry Terry and she was like, ‘Are you serious?’, she said.

When they’re not busy flexing their muscles and training clients, they spend time together doing something they love the most ― eating.

“We love eating. We have this term in the gym where Monday to Fridays we feel like we are locked up in prison and on Saturday the gates of heaven open,” said Gallyot.

“Sometimes, it's a buffet and a movie, or at times just enjoying food along Jalan Alor.

“I'm just happy to spend time with her, the pleasure we get from the simple things in life is priceless.”

Despite a similar passion for the sport, the duo share very different workout routines and dieting.

“We don't train together. Her body type is very different from mine.

“She needs to do a lot of volume while I can train light and get the same amount of gains. And yes, she lifts heavier than me!,” he said.

“We try to do as much as we can together but our genetic setup is so different so everything in relation to bodybuilding we do is different,” Tan said.

Although they are both in their 40s, they have not thought about quitting the sport just yet.

“The little voice in me is asking me to make a comeback,” Gallyot said.

While Tan said quitting the sport has never come across her mind.

“Nothing can quite explain the emotions representing Malaysia on an international stage,” she said.

“Hearing the national anthem being played while you stand up there proud and victorious with the flag draping across your body,” Tan said.