From hiding, to proudly flaunting his abs, he aspires to make fitness his career

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 16

‘Height Choti, Soch Badi’ reads his bio on his social media accounts. Just 23, he wants to eclipse his 3’8” height with his chiseled body.

In a family of normal heighted people, Ganesh Kumar, always considered himself a misfit. But not anymore. Walking on the footprints of popular American bodybuilder Kai Greene, Kumar has made bodybuilding his passion. With his growing social media following, his workout videos have already been seen and shared by lakhs of users.

When he was just 7 or 8-years old, he started noticing his body growing abnormally. Then started frequent visits to doctors. His parents would take him to various medical experts to get adequate treatment for his stunted growth, but to no avail. Youngest of five siblings, while he was pampered in his house, the world outside was exactly opposite to it.

Unable to focus on studies while growing up, he couldn’t complete his education and skipped school after Class X. At school, he used to overcome his weakness and his peers’ reaction to his dwarf body by singing. However, life changed after he started lifting weights.

“Gyming was never on the cards. Had I not met my coach Gagandeep Singh, I wouldn’t have ever been able to stand with confidence. Before bodybuilding, I used to work in a factory. Three years ago, when I was going home after completing my shift, my neighbour Lucky, asked me to start working out. On his insistence, I started going to the gym, hiding myself behind his muscular built. I didn’t know what I would do there. But, things turned differently, after I met Gagan. He not only motivated me, but also trained me for free. He even made sure that I wouldn’t have to pay the gym fee. Afterwards, it took me two years to build my physique. Subsequently, my coach asked me to participate in bodybuilding events,” Ganesh said.

From hiding himself to proudly flaunting his biceps and abs, he now aspires to make a career in fitness.

Competing in the physically challenged category, he has already won two medals and is now preparing for the upcoming ‘Pathankot Classic Bodybuilding Championship’.

“Since muscles require a strict diet, my parents used to give me Rs30 per day initially, but seeing my growth, they now give me Rs50 per day. Despite opposition from doctors and my relatives, my family has now started supporting me. While I workout for nearly one-and-a-half-hours daily, for the rest of the day I work in our kiryana store. It feels respectful when people ask me for a fitness regime and seek my advice. Earlier, people used to stare at me and make fun of my height. But now, they look at me both smilingly and shockingly,” Kumar smiles.