Want to give my 100 per cent: Aryan Pasha

Aryan Pasha, a transgender man who became the first Indian to win a prize at a bodybuilding event, on Sunday said that as doors are opening, he only wants to give his 100 per cent.

"Now doors are opening and federations want me to participate. In competitions, I want to only give my 100 per cent. My main motivate is to give tough competition to other guys as there was no category for transgender," Pasha told ANI in an exclusive interview.

Talking about his journey, Delhi resident said: "First, I was into skating. I was a speed skater. At that time I started gyming, but I had to do very restricted exercises. I wasn't allowed to do my upper body part and just had to focus on my legs. So from somewhere, I have developed my interest in this field but my main game was speed skating."

"Later on, I started my transition when I was 18 years old. But my coach told me not to continue skating as it is India and people have seen you participating in the girl's event. I was known in skating as I was a national medalist. So, I dropped skating and started my transition and got operated after that. For almost two years I didn't go for any physical activity," Pasha said.

Pasha, who had his first sights set on an all-trans bodybuilding competition in America's Trans FitCon, couldn't make through it as his visa was rejected. So he decided to participate within the country and focussed on Musclemania, the local edition of a major international bodybuilding competition.

"Through Facebook, I came to know about the Trans FitCon competition. That time I decided that I want to participate in it as somewhere I have that sportsmanship inside me. In 2014, I started gyming as a hobby just for fitness and after two years I applied for Trans FitCon but my visa got declined so I decided to participate in India," Pasha added.

"After visa rejection, I started e-mailing other federations that I am a trans guy and want to participate but my e-mails were ignored."

Pasha, who came second in the Men's Physique category of Musclemania India, didn't expect to reach this far, but he is happy that he has broken the stereotypical mentality.

"My challenge was that since Musclemania is a natural bodybuilding competition, the use of hormone supplements including testosterone is not allowed. When I informed US-based organiser that I was a trans-man who required regular testosterone doses, they decided that I have to skip my last dosage before the contest," Pasha said.

"My dose is just to maintain normal hormone testosterone which any male have, normal range to maintain. So it will not come under any doping as people are putting these questions. When I was in the queue, I knew it is going to happen and that winning has broken the stereotype mentality," he concluded.