Nepal's Prinsa making her name through bodybuilding in Australia

While women in nation are catching up with men's sports by bringing international medals, far away from home Prinsa Shrestha has been making Nepal known through bodybuilding sports.

Bodybuilder Shrestha is an unknown name in Nepali sports but she has been indirectly helping Nepal recognized. Making Australia her working abode, Shrestha has identified herself as a women bodybuilder in the New South Wales, one of the states of Australia.

She won the gold medal in the Fitness Model Open Class category of the New South Wales State Championship held in September 2019. In the same event, Shrestha also was declared runners up in the Sports Model Overall category.

Shrestha made her debut in the bodybuilding competition during the Sydney International Super Show in 2018. The show is the largest international bodybuilding event in Australia where Shrestha succeeds to finish at the second position in her first attempt. She won the silver medal in the Sports Model Novice category.

"After finishing runners up in one of the biggest bodybuilding tournament of Australia, I am motivated to continue with the sports," Shrestha said. I bagged three medals then, Shrestha claimed proudly. She also finished third in the Sports Model First Timer and claimed the fourth position in Fitness Model Novice category at the Sydney International Show.

She is the only one women bodybuilder representing Nepal in Australia. "I was the only Nepali woman to take part in the state championship in Australia," She said.

In her second competition, Shrestha managed to win a bronze medal in Sports Model Novice and settled for the fourth position in Sports Model First Timer category at Australian National 2018.

"My second show was a national level event of Australia. After finishing third in the national tournament, my self-confidence was high and committed myself to win the championship in my third competition."

"I appointed coach and worked hard to fulfil my dream. In the first two tournaments, I have the regular training of 16 weeks. However, as I aimed for the gold medal in my third tournament, I doubled my effort and trained for 30 weeks."

She said that it was very difficult to train for such a long time. "It was not just working out in gym and physical exercises; it is also about maintaining the diet. We cannot eat what we want and have to follow a strict diet to maintain the fitness level required for the tournament."

Her endurance and persistence got eventually rewarded as Shrestha won the gold in the New South Wales State Championship. For all the rewards, Shrestha credited bodybuilding instructor Srijan Maharjan. "In the starting period, I joined the gym only for fitness and has not thought about competing in the bodybuilding."

"Coach Maharjan encouraged me to take part in bodybuilding sports after finding my body fit. He promised to help me if I am ready to compete in the tournament. After that I started doing gym seriously," Shrestha said.

"After one year of doing gym regularly, my body had a good change and there was a change in my lifestyle too. I was confident of taking up bodybuilding sports and started putting extra effort in my gym."

The advice from Instructor Maharjan also helped me be mentally strong, Shrestha added. "Today whatever I am, it is all due to Coach Maharjan."

Shrestha thinks that Bodybuilding is an expensive sport. "We have to spend thousands of rupees to take part in one event. The protein supplement is very costly. The cost of the bikini put on during the show is also very pricey. We have to manage it all by ourselves." Besides, appointing coach in Australia also need whooping amount. "We have to pay on an hourly basis for the coach even if they are hired for normal fitness training."

However, it matters less for Shrestha if one has a lot of passion and love for the sport. She has been giving time for the sports by working side by side.

A PR holder Shrestha, who entered Australia in 2009 in student visa, spends her three hours in regularly in the gym during the off-season. "I give my two hours in the morning and one hour in the evening for the body fitness in the off-season. I have to double it during the season."

Currently, Prinsa is an amateur bodybuilder and targets to claim the Pro Card. To receive a Pro Card is to be recognized as a professional athlete. After receiving a Pro Card, one can get easily sponsors and earn income purely from winning bodybuilding competition.

"After fulfilling my first target of getting Pro Card, I have committed to represent Nepal in the World Bodybuilding Championship," Shrestha revealed.

Though there are few Nepali women bodybuilders, they have raised the national flag in the international arena. Nanita Maharjan, Rajani Shrestha and Malika Shakya have succeeded to win international bodybuilding medals for Nepal. Prinsa Shrestha wants to be in the list of these players, who won the accolade for the motherland.

Shrestha believed that the training she got in Australia would help to stamp Nepal's name with golden script in the international arena.