A feisty Gen Z has just set social media buzzing with an amazing deadlift at the IPF Championships, winning a silver medal in the Junior Women's 47kg category. She lifted three times her body weight and earned the epithet of the most beautiful powerlifter on the planet. Twenty-one-year-old Keyaa Banerji from Gurugram, the daughter of a former corporate employee and an economics teacher, is grounded and knows that this sport may not get her an Olympic medal, but it can make her a role model for young girls. And that is why she has aggressively pushed back against trolls who tried to create caste divides or even sexually harass her online. Here is an exclusive interview with NDTV's Rica Roy
Q1. Tell us a about your powerlifting journey. Where did it all start?
Keyaa Banerji: Recently I graduated from Ashoka University with a BSc degree in psychology. In my second year of college, I was feeling a bit down and wanted a sense of personal fulfillment and a goal to work towards. So I just started going to the gym to take care of myself. That is where I learnt a little bit about powerlifting from one of my very close friends, who is a powerlifter. He was already competing at a world level. So I felt extremely inspired. He decided to coach me upon my request. And I just fell in love with the movement. I fell in love with the idea of progressing with this sport, tailoring my entire lifestyle around this- sleeping, eating, training.
And this moment is just a fruit of that passion that I have for the craft.
Q2. How long did it take for you from the time you had started to the time you made the podium finish?
Keyaa : So when I first started, I weighed around 40-43 kgs at the time. And, you know, most people assume that someone this small wouldn't be able to make a 3x bodyweight deadlift, or any whatsoever bodyweight multiple numbers in movements like these.
But because I was surrounded by the right kind of knowledge and exposure to girls competing at world championships at the time. I used to watch IPF wars very often.
By my very first month, I was into a very good program, planned coaching and training. That was combined with nutrition. I was already able to hit a 100 kg deadlift soon. I realized that I had the potential to really grow this because the first achievement came in a very short duration. Within my first year, within the first 7-8 months of training, I already had a 130 kg deadlift.
So I decided to compete at Powerlifting India Nationals. Powerlifting India is the federation one competes under in order to get to IPF Worlds. When I went to the nationals, I was a complete newbie.
I saw girls with my bodyweight lifting crazy numbers. I was incredibly impressed. But unfortunately, I finished 6th.
I wasn't placeed anywhere near the podium in any lift, but it really inspired me to come back next year and compete again. So in that duration, I added about 10 kgs to my deadlift.
So I deadlifted 140 kgs at Nationals. In training, I have deadlifted 147.5. But unfortunately, the competition day just wasn't one of my strongest days. Things just worked out the way they worked out.
So I am grateful. But I'm hoping to do a lot more. Overall, it's been 2 years though.
Q3. 140 kg is absolutely sensational given that you are only around 45 kgs and you lifted 3x your weight. But Powerlifting is not considered as a traditional sport. When we think about lifting, we think about weightlifting, we think about Mirabai Chanu winning an Olympic medal. What really motivated you, inspired you to take this journey? Did you have any role models?
Keyaa: I would really say that it was never about the medals for me.
If my goal was fame and recognition, I wouldn't be entering a niche sport with no visibility and no money. So the way things worked out, the amount of visibility and recognition I'm getting, I am grateful for it. But that was never the goal.
I used to just really enjoy training and I used to just enjoyed progressing my numbers. More than anything, it's been a very spiritual journey for me. I felt very connected to myself and my environment when I spent all this time training, learning and watching.
It's just been incredibly rewarding this whole time, not just now. So I will continue lifting and I will continue progressing my numbers regardless of whether this attention and recognition continues or not. It's just something that I really enjoy.
Q4. Now that you have won this silver medal in South Africa, what's next for you?
Keyaa: Right now, as I said, I've recently graduated from college. I am just taking some time off and competing at this world championship. I have no other plans at the moment.
Q5. How did it feel to become an overnight sensation? From the time you left for the competition to the time you returned, how does the change feel?
Keyaa : So I think initially the visibility made me very uncomfortable because a lot of these pictures that were being shared weren't actual pictures from my competition. It was just a picture or two that people had taken.
And as it goes, people always want to sell the story that sells best. So I saw a lot of images of myself with my body very distorted. And people tried making me look a little bit more like a bodybuilder and a lot bigger than I am.
So it was a bit disorienting waking up every day and seeing those images of myself that looked nothing like me. I think I just want the Internet to know that you don't have to look a certain way to lift a certain amount of weight. I am proof of it.
My body did not change too much while I was training. And I think if I am getting visibility for my achievements, I would much rather look like myself and gain visibility for what's true to myself. But overall, yeah, I think that's all a part of just how the Internet works.
I'm also learning. It was a bit overwhelming, but I'm adjusting now. But I do think the country has responded very well.
And I've gotten a lot of messages from little girls all over India saying that they feel very inspired. And I think that was very fulfilling for me. So I am very happy about that.
Q6. I've been reading that there have been also a lot of online trolls and sexual harassment. How have you reacted to them?
Keyaa Banerjee: I think the first thing I'd like to say is has been very overwhelming. I've been quite vocal about it on social media, not because I wanted to tell the world my feelings, but because I felt lI wanted women and little girls watching me to know that when you're treated a certain way, it's OK to stand up for yourself.
So that was mainly the motive. A lot of people have told me that the unwarranted attention is just all a part of it.
The reason why I spoke up against this (trolls) is because I wanted to fight that idea. I don't think sexual harassment and comments about your appearance of women athletes when someone accomplishes something like this should be normalised.
I am dealing with it and just trying to focus on my accomplishment.
Q7. What about your parents? What did they say after your accomplishment?
Keyaa: I think they have just been incredibly proud. My parents were never the type of people to really push me to study too much or work too hard towards sport.
They always supported me in everything I wanted to do. In fact, my parents are the very reason why I was able to attend this World Championship. A lot of athletes in our country don't get the chance to go for these events, not because they lack the capability for it, but because there is absolutely no funding.
This competition was completely funded by my parents and I'm very grateful to them.
Q8. You have broken many stereotypes, including that of a Bengali girl. Now we can say that Bengali girls can be powerlifters apart from being scientists, musicians and artists.
Keyaa: I think I would like to take this moment to talk about how a lot of people have used my last name to turn this into an unnecessary conversation about caste. That was very, very disturbing to me. I don't think any of that matters. I am Bengali, but I don't even speak Bengali.
I have never been to Bengal. I am a proud Bengali. I'm not saying that I'm not, but I don't think any of these conversations about caste and ethnicity are necessary at all.
I think it is all irrelevant. We're all Indians. I competed at the championship as an Indian.
And I just would like to make that very clear.
Q9 . The Asian Games are coming up in Aichi Nagoya, your event does not feature there, but what would be your message to the participating athletes?
Keyaa: I think the most important thing is to believe that our country is moving towards great things and athletes are achieving incredible things. To the athletes themselves, as a fellow athlete, I would say just enjoy yourself. You don't owe anyone anything but yourself. Enjoy the process.
Enjoy your sport. And we're all rooting for you
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