Pratibha, a teenage mother of two, achieved the feat in her second event, just two years into the sport.
But five years ago she was having a hard time.
“My thyroid level was elevated to 50 against level 5. The doctor advised me to exercise. I joined the gym with my husband Bhupesh and lost 30kg in a few months.” ‘, she told TOI on Friday.
Pratibha entered her first competition as the “First Female Professional Bodybuilder from Uttarakhand” last year in Sikkim and finished fourth.
“After I put the money in the bag, the attitudes of those who mocked me changed.”
“At first I was hesitant to start this sport because the competitors have to wear costumes.
When I started bodybuilding, I was teased by the women in my neighborhood. Now that I have won the gold medal, their attitude has changed,” Pratibha said with a smile on his face.
At the gym, it was Bhupesh, her fitness-enthusiast husband, who first noticed that her muscles had developed and she had gotten better at lifting weights.
“Then he asked me to take up the sport and promised his full support,” she said.
Bhupesh, her trainer and nutritionist, said: Before we got married, she headed the state volleyball team. So when I asked her to start bodybuilding after seeing how her muscles reacted to her training with weights in the gym, it seemed like a natural progression. “
He added: As a result, she won gold in just her second event. I hope the state recognizes this and helps her train better. ”
Her sons, aged 15 and 17, study in grades 10 and 12 at a school in Dehradun. The gold medalist is now gearing up for the Asian and World Championships and hopes to repeat her feat.