I wasn’t active growing up. My parents are of Indian origin and, even though I grew up in the United Kingdom, they taught me to prioritise studying instead of fitness. Plus, a lot of professional athletes aren’t from India, so I didn’t have role models around me.
The way I learned to think of health was by being well-fed—in my household, the ability to have food was seen as a sign of wealth and status. So, I always ate until my plate was clean, even if I was full. In fact, I’d sometimes have two dinners, one at a friend’s house and one at my house. Even though I’m grateful that my parents were able to provide for me, I never felt comfortable in my skin. Growing up, I had low self-esteem because I was chubby.
At 21, I went to university. Being there was a total eye-opener: It was the first time I saw people balancing academics and sports. I really started looking after myself and prioritising exercise. I started going to the gym multiple times a week, but most of the workouts I did on my own were really random—I was just picking classes and programs that looked fun. Even though I was building strength and muscle—it was just under quite a lot of body fat—so I still didn’t see a big change in how my body looked, because I didn’t know how to eat properly.
Since early adulthood, being active has been part of my lifestyle—but the COVID-19 lockdown affected how I exercised.
I was 47 at the time and started experiencing perimenopause symptoms—such as weight gain, which was exacerbated by the pandemic. All the gyms were shut down, I was working from home, and I didn’t feel like I had any healthy release for my stress and anxiety. But even during this difficult time, I was determined to get things under control.
Some of my coworkers did Joe Wicks‘ at-home strength training workouts, so I started one of his three-month plans in May 2020. It was simple but structured, which made it so doable: Complete the recommended workouts five days a week, follow the meal plans, and drink more water.
I didn’t think the program would help me lose weight, but the biggest change came from how I ate. One meal plan had me limit my pasta intake while adding protein and vegetables, which helped me feel full. The plan also had me set specific times for eating meals and snacks so I ate regularly throughout the day, instead of reaching for the nearest snack at random times. The plan did allow me to drink alcohol, but I wanted to see how much progress I could make—and what my life would be like—without it. I’ve been alcohol-free for four years now, and I’ve never looked back.
At the end of July, after completing my initial plan, I decided to try three more months. By December, I’d lost about 20 pounds (9kg).
After I went back to the gym, I discovered a new love: Hyrox races.
In 2022, I went back to the gym. One day, I was doing burpees when a man in his late fifties came up to me and asked if I was training for Hyrox. I had no clue what he was talking about, and he showed me the race on Instagram: You run 1 kilometer, then do one functional workout station (SkiERG, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer’s carry, sandbag lunges, and wall balls), and repeat that cycle eight times. I thought it looked interesting, so in November 2023, I bought my husband and myself tickets to Hyrox London in April 2024 so I’d have enough time to train.
At my first Hyrox, I immediately got the bug—I love the hybrid training and race format because everyone excels in different parts. Since then, I’ve also done Hyrox Malaga in April 2024, where I made podium and placed third in my age group, and Hyrox London Olympia in May 2024. I never thought I’d place—I just wanted to do my best, but at Hyrox Malaga, I finished in one hour, 32 minutes, and 46 seconds, shaving two minutes and five seconds off of my first Hyrox time.
Now, my training is Hyrox/hybrid racing-focused for my six upcoming races.
I work out five days a week with my coach, Samantha Bilbie, and each session lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. Three sessions are running: An interval run, a long steady run, and a compromised run, which is a tempo run followed by strength training exercises. This is helpful because that’s Hyrox’s format—you have to be able to run after you’ve just used a completely different energy system with the strength training or power exercises.
On the other two days, I strength train with one upper-body session and one lower-body session. Some of the exercises I do are rowing, lat pulldowns, pull-ups, the ski-ERG, and kettlebell deadlifts. We mix up the volume I do, so sometimes I’ll do a medium amount of reps of back squats with a heavier weight, and then right after, I’ll go into a higher amount of reps of kettlebell squats with a moderate weight.
I also listen to my body if it needs rest because some of the training is so intense. I give myself two rest days per week, but sometimes I take more if I need to, and that’s okay because now I’m comfortable in my own skin.
I still use Joe Wicks’ Body Coach app for my three main meals every day.
I love his nutrition plans because they’re not just grilled chicken and steamed broccoli—he has tasty meals, like burgers, pizzas, curries, and pasta. I also have a morning and afternoon snack, which is usually an apple or rice cakes with peanut butter, protein yogurt, or protein bars. I carb cycle, so I’ll eat more carbs on a workout day, and fewer carbs and more good fats on a rest day. At the end of the day, I’ve recently started drinking a milk-based protein called Casein to help with muscle protein synthesis and recovery overnight. Now, I know I don’t need to always have a clean plate, and I stop eating when I’m full.
Staying consistent was key to my strength transformation.
Even when I’m in the middle of training for my next Hyrox competition, I take it one day at a time. And if I skip a day of working out or a meal recommendation, I don’t let a bad day turn into a bad week—I just keep going. Consistency is going to look different every day. Some days, I’ll have a hundred percent and I’ll be smashing it, and other days, I’ll wonder why I should continue. No matter how I feel, I just keep going and don’t look back.
Read now: How to practise self-compassion and become more confident
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