My fitness journey started when I had put on 25 kg. After my second pregnancy ( second c-section) I just didn’t like the way I saw myself. I started avoiding my baby and wasn’t enjoying motherhood. I fell into depression. Back in those days, no one talked about post-pregnancy depression, I ended up crying for even the smallest things. One day I saw my daughter looking at me with a question in her eyes: Why are you crying?

That triggered me. From that day onwards I decided I must bring a change, there is no point in sitting here crying because nothing will change like that.

"So, I started going for 20 minute walks every morning. No matter what, rain or shine, I made sure I dedicated that time to myself. Walking and taking control of my carbs helped me lose weight and within one year I lost 25 kg.

However, while I was following youtube videos, I injured my back. The doctor advised me to stop working out because "I'm a woman" rather than guiding me on how I could work out with my injury."Of course, my first weight loss wasn’t done in a proper way and within 8 to 9 months I gained 25 to 28 kgs, which lead to depression again. The same story repeated, I wasn’t playing with my kids and I felt tired and lethargic all the time. My daughters asked me to go out for runs but I couldn’t, I was around 33 at that time. I couldn’t even go for a walk because each time I kept huffing and puffing.

This triggered my mind again, I can’t cope with my daughter, I can’t play with them, what kind of childhood am I giving them? I felt like an unhealthy and unhappy mom. This time I wanted to get fit under a supervisor but couldn’t find anyone that fit my schedule because I worked full-time as an IT engineer, had two kids and had house responsibilities."

"It made me think, what about women, mothers like me who want to bring a change but lack the resources? That’s where my journey started, I found my mission, my vision to bring a change. Changing myself and changing the loss of moms like me. I enrolled on a personal training course whilst working. I used to go to uni late at night around 12 to 1 am to study in the library and came back before my kids woke up. It took me two years to finish the course. I realized nutrition plays an important role in anyone’s daily routine life. It’s not just about losing weight but gaining strength and stamina, and in the next two years, I became a nutritionist.

In 2018 I started my family fitness journey in a small room with one dumbbell, one kettlebell and one client. Today I am training 500 ladies in the studio as well clients all over the world! Family Fitness is my passion rather than a business. When someone comes to me, they connect with my journey and I can relate to their struggles. I train until 10 pm and get up at 5 am. I become determined to bring a transformation to other lives.

It is not just a physical transformation but also a mental one, I’m mostly changing their mindset. I never promote the term “weight loss” but what I will say is “ get fit”. Get fit then your family will be fit too. Get fit mentally as well. Once you start feeling confident in your own body you start loving yourself. When you practice self-love, everything starts looking beautiful!

After losing weight I went back to my pre-pregnancy weight. When you are goal-oriented, you think what next? So I got into powerlifting, which is a drug-free core strength sport where you have to build up and compete. In 2020 at the age of 39, I competed in national powerlifting. But then one day I injured my back. I have three disc injuries but I have no regrets because I have achieved a lot and injuries are part of any sport. Then I got an opportunity to become an Olympic weightlifting coach. I work for Elevation weight lifting club and now I’ve been slowly training myself for competition! I’ve lifted deadlift, squat and bench press, which altogether comes to lifting 300 kgs!

I’ve never taken any painkillers or injections but have always kept a good mindset; I can do it and love myself." I’m proud I have been given a platform where people are relating to my story. It’s all about a change in mindset because we never prioritize health and fitness. There is still a lot to do in this community, a lot to be changed.

Believe in yourself. You deserve a lot. If you don’t self-value yourself, no one is going to do that for you. It’s your body, no one else knows how you feel on the inside. Make your family understand how you feel, speak up. Change is always the better way. Become a role model. When my daughters had to write an article for their role model, they wrote about me! Don’t look for inspiration, be your own inspiration. I can proudly say that I’m my own inspiration. Every day I fight with myself to get up with an injury and to work 80 - 90 hours a week. I never give up."