Breaking Stereotypes- Shelly Arora won the Asia Pacific Championship at INBA 2019

Bengaluru : Muscles and 6-pack abs can be female attributes, taking that as a cue, Shelly Arora (40) a senior  marketing professional has broken all stereotypes and won the Asia-Pacific Championship in the Physique Category (Women) by International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA) 2019.

“Bodybuilding is still associated with masculinity. Therefore, bodybuilding for women is a very unheard subject in our country while internationally, women across age groups are into body building and even take it to a professional level by participating in various fitness competitions. I hope my participation can precipitate this change,” added Shelly.

“I wish that every woman should recognize their potential and strive their best to follow their passion and not get constrained by their circumstances,” mentioned Shelly.

From combating health issues, to fighting gender stereotypes, to managing full time work, this championship wasn’t a cakewalk for Shelly. Diagnosed with an auto-immune problem in the year 2017, she was prohibited from any form of intense workout. She said, “My doctor advised me to not lift weights or do any form of intense workout. I was very depressed and worried because of my illness and somewhere started losing my confidence. Fortunately, I have a wonderful support system in my family which encouraged me to gradually start with my workouts again . I shed all my fear and negativity and started with weight training again with full confidence.”

After a year of rigorous training, she achieved an unbelievable physical transformation. It was in early 2019, she got to know about INBA and she felt it was the right platform for her to take her passion for fitness to professional level as it is for natural bodybuilders. Initially unconvinced and apprehensive as she harboured a reservation on wearing a bikini. She said, “I belong to the corporate world and was apprehensive to walk on stage as an athlete in a bikini, what will my colleagues think? It was my mother who stood behind me like a pillar and gave me all the courage to shed my reservations and pursue my passion.”

She more significantly said, “I am a firm believer in natural bodybuilding. When I first started my fitness journey few years back, I observed a lot of people resorting to drugs for quick enhancement of muscles but I could never relate to it. I could never understand how could fitness be achieved by harming one’s body with drugs.

She emphasized that artificial enhancement of muscles with the help of drugs was extremely dangerous. She said, “As Influencers, we should set the right example for budding bodybuilders and guide them to follow the natural way of bodybuilding. This is the only long-term solution to stay fit.”

Shelly, who is working in the corporate world for the past 17 years and has worked with leading telecom companies like Apple, Samsung feels that fitness is nowhere in the priority list for people in corporate world. She said, “As one goes up the corporate ladder, the work load and stress level goes up and there is absolutely no time to even get proper sleep, forget about hitting the gym.”

Shelly advocates fitness as one of the essential requirements for working professionals. She said, “Exercise is the best stress buster and therefore, its extremely important to take out time for workout any time during the day. If you are fit, you will be more productive for your organization and can lead your team far more effectively and  efficiently.”

Shelly who currently heads digital marketing of a leading global telecom company aspires to achieve more in the field of health and fitness. She said, “After securing this championship, I have gained immense confidence and aspire to do more in this field. I always believe that if you are passionate at something, strive your best to excel at it”. Shelly was also awarded “Times Power Woman 2019” for Excellence in Global Digital marketing early this year.