Everyone loves a rivalry, especially in the physique world, and the names Erin Stern and Nicole Wilkins bring about excitement when paired together on a marquee. But as of late, Stern has been noticeably absent from the stage. She passed on doing the Arnold in 2014 and now she is passing on the 2014 Olympia.

“I have been competing since 2008 and thought it was time to give my body — and my brain — a break from competition,” she says. Other projects demand more attention from the 34-year-old figure champ.

Topping her to-do list is her latest book (she already has four other e-books available on her website). “I discuss my story and how I went from hitting rock bottom to becoming the best on the figure stage,” she says. “People see me as this fabulous girl onstage and glammed up on magazine covers, but they don’t see that I went through a lot of struggles before I got here, including bad relationships and eating issues. But I managed to get to a good place by believing in myself and being positive.”