The word ‘Body Builder’ will instantly give you an image of a strong man lifting a lot of weights in the gym or posing in a competition. You must have not heard about her, Europa Bhowmik is a living proof that even girls can be really cool bodybuilder. Let’s have a look in her life and know how she decided to choose this career and what all came in her way.
When asked Europa about her family and background, she told”I was born on a ship called Samco Europa. My father is a captain in the merchant navy. My mother conceived on the ship and the crew decided that the name would be Sam if a boy was born and Europa if it was a girl. Thank God I am a girl. I don’t like the name, Sam”.
Where It All Began
Telling about how Europa Bhowmik fell for bodybuilding she told, “It all started from the bullying in school. I am not tall. My friends used to bully me for being short and unattractive. This put a lot of emotional pressure on me. That was the time around puberty when I was going through hormonal changes. I looked chubby and felt insecure. My mother suggested I join a gym. But that didn’t help. I started dieting and became anorexic. The only good thing about this phase was, I realized that I was suffering from anorexia”.
“One of the gym trainers identified me and started grooming me. ‘You need to be a bit more symmetrical,’ he said. He introduced me to a balanced diet and I started exercising on strength machines. This regimen suited me,” The trainer introduced her to the machines she never tried before and started a balanced diet for her.
Her First Appearance
It was in 2015 when she appeared National-level bodybuilding championship in Belgaum, Karnataka. Telling about her experience in her first event she said, “Though I didn’t win, I found my focus. I was floored by the chiseled bodies of other competitors. And there I found my coach Indranil Maity. I’ve never looked back,” In 2016, in the same competition she won a silver medal.
Disclosing about what her parents and friends about the interest in the sport she told, “When I started, not many women were interested in bodybuilding. My parents were not very sure about this. Since they have never stopped me from doing anything, I could continue. However, it took me one win to convince them and not they are now super-supportive. These days, girls are also coming to me to get into a fitness regimen. This, I would think, is my biggest achievement”.
We hope that Europa has inspired something inside you. Seeing a girl doing things that are not customary, traditional and choosing a road less traveled is always inspiring. There are many such inspirational bodybuilders in India. Read the story of Anand, Mr. India and his journey where he overcame paralysis and became a bodybuilder.
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