Competing in the 45kg category, the 30-year-old from Punjab lifted an incredible 101kg on Sunday, surpassing her own previous best of 100kg recorded just a week earlier at the nationals on March 16.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jaspreet\u2019s journey to the top is nothing short of inspirational. Once an overweight software engineer who graduated from NIT Kozhikode, her mental resilience got her to lose 40kgs as she forayed into the sporting arena.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cDoctors told me that my lower spine was getting pressed and that I needed to lose weight. That was a wake-up call. I was weighing 80kg at the time during 2020 and my job as an engineer wanted me to sit for several hours. I was scared if it would lead me to be wheelchair-bound,\u201d she told SAI Media.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
For Jaspreet, powerlifting is more than a sport\u2014it\u2019s a lifeline. \u201cThe game has chosen me, rather than me choosing the game. My weight loss gave me powerlifting, and powerlifting gave me confidence. Now, I want to win a medal for India in the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028 and make headlines, just like my coach Rajinder Sir did back in 2004 Athens Paralympics, where he won the bronze in para powerlifting,\u201d she said, eyes set on the ultimate goal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jaspreet explained she has a tilted spine and being overweight causes the spinal points in the lumbar region to get pressed. As a result, she started getting misbalanced in the leg that was not impacted by polio.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Struck by polio at the age of three, Jaspreet Kaur, who walks with the help of callipers now, returned to Punjab after quitting her job in 2020 and started her weight loss journey. Studies also was a key priority.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI started preparing for UPSC once I returned home and in seven months, cleared the pre-exams,\u201d she added. Her transformative fitness journey, over the course of one and a half years, relied solely on a disciplined diet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI was my own nutritionist and I did all the studies and research on nutrition. My only goal was to lose weight and fix my hip issues. I cut down fast food and sugar, drank warm water twice a day, and ensured proper nutrition with desi ghee and four meals daily. Staying hungry weakens the liver, so I was careful,\u201d she elaborated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It wasn\u2019t until the end of 2022 that she stumbled upon Paralympic games in general while reading newspapers. With a hunger to participate in the games, Jaspreet called up fellow Punjab-based para-powerlifters and Paralympians Rajinder Singh Rahelu and Paramjeet Kumar. Inspired by their achievements, she decided to give the sport a shot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In her first nationals that same year, she lifted 70kg and clinched gold, earning a spot at the prestigious Sports Authority of India National Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI had no idea para powerlifting existed. I was always motivated by sportspersons, but I was too engrossed in studies to consider it for myself. When I found out about it, I knew I had to try,\u201d continued Jaspreet, who holds an M. Tech degree and has even published an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers thesis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Under the expert guidance of Arjuna Award-winning coach Rajinder Singh Rahelu at SAI Gandhinagar, she honed her technique and strength, steadily improving to lift over twice her body weight within three years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAll the credit goes to Rajinder Sir. I have blindly followed his guidance in every aspect to improve my game. Besides that, over the last couple of years, SAI Gandhinagar has provided me with all the diet and disciplined routine,\u201d she added with gratitude.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jaspreet also actively supports the Fit India Sundays on Cycle Mission, which stresses on the message of \u2018Fight against Obesity\u2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAll the credit goes to Rajinder Sir. I have blindly followed his guidance in every aspect to improve my game. Besides that, over the last couple of years, SAI Gandhinagar has provided me with all the diet and disciplined routine,\u201d she added with gratitude.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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