Mamatha Sanathkumar’s journey was not easy. Bodybuilding which is still considered to be a “MAN’S WORLD” making a mark for women is never easy. And when a woman from a small village has to wear a bikini and show off her body in front of thousands of people, then she might face a difficult time back home.
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Similar is the story of today’s Hero: MAMATHA SANATH KUMAR. Mamatha was one of us. Actually, she calls herself an obese lady who had no dreams of making it big into bodybuilding and fitness.
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Mamatha recalls “I was not always into bodybuilding or even working out. In fact, until November 2015, I was overweight. Like anyone else, I loved burgers, pizza, soft drinks, and other junk food. Add my post-pregnancy weight to that and I was almost touching 90 kg. But something clicked a winter month, and I started working out. By the following November, I was down to 62 kg and already in love with my workouts.”
Mamatha was a happy homemaker and a toddler’s mother. She used to drop her kid to the nursery and she was happily working out at a nearby gym. She would soon become a trainer which was actually not the path she has envisioned for herself.
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But things took a drastic turn when her husband lost the job by the end of 2017. There were tensions and quarrels back home which she never wanted her daughter to listen or get affected. That was the time when she decided to do something for herself. She decided in an instant that she wanted to become a bodybuilder.
Their were societal hurdles and family trying to stop her. They commented “I was told, time and again from my parents and my husband that I must stop displaying my body in shows and on social media. But social media itself helped me turn this criticism into support. I kept getting appreciating comments on how supportive my family was which in reality was just the opposite initially. But the more comments my family read, the faster they came to accept me as I am,”
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She also believes that a woman needs to embrace her body also. She shouldn’t be afraid or shy away from her scars, love handles. Rather she should be proudly flaunting them and also look for healthy ways to cover them rather than covering them through makeup.
She advocates the thought of “The way I see it, we have two options when it comes to our stretch marks. We can let those stretchmarks define us, hold us back from reaching our goals and feeling confident in ourselves. Or, we can remember why they’re there, what we went through to get them and that they are a part if what makes us who we are”.
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She further adds “When Its comes to tigerstripe, I never want others to think I’m saying I’m the only one that has them in the fitness industry. Because guess what? reality is, more women than you think have stretch marks. Whether it’s on their tummy, bums, thighs, or breasts. But, my hope is that with me being so open about them, and sharing my experience in the industry having tiger stripes and extra skin, it would help other women know it’s ok to embrace them, love them, share them with pride, and love whatever journey that comes with them,”
At the end of the day, Mamatha loves her daughter and she wants her inspiration some day in the future. “Laddu is my inspiration because I want to become her inspiration someday. I believe myself to be a very loving mother although as a trainer, I am quite strict. In the gym, it’s all about tough love. At home, it is doting over Purvika. She has always admired me and even comes with me to the gym. Gradually, I won over the full support of my family and yet, my daughter is my biggest strength,”
Today Mamatha is a happy woman. Her husband has also found a job. And Mamatha herself is pursuing bodybuilding professional and also working shift wise at the gym. Mamatha’s story is a great inspiration for all the mothers and ladies out there that how should you stand strong against all the odds in your life.
Very inspiring. Kudos to Mamatha and many more such women.