“I found a love for feeling strong and never looked back” is how Bains explains the change in the game.
Under the guidance of her father, a former bodybuilder and powerlifter, she quickly showed her skills in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Three months later, she entered — and won — her first competition.
Fast forward eight years and Bains now holds the distinction of being the first Sikh woman to compete for Great Britain in powerlifting.
Her “ultimate dream”, she says, is to become the first Sikh woman world champion, while using her platform to inspire other girls to take up the sport.
“You get the stereotype that you’re going to turn into Arnold Schwarzenegger with the wig, or something like that… me and you’ve never seen them before.”
Bains, a regional 300m sprint champion as a teenager, found sporting inspiration in his family when he grew up.
Her older twin brother was involved in the national-level 400m hurdles, and she remembers watching him fly around the track “like Superman”.
Meanwhile, his mother was encouraged by Bains’ father to take up athletics and in his 40s won local championship medals in hammer throw, discus and shot put.
About her, Bains says, “When she was young she always wanted to do sports, but she never got a chance as she came from Punjab, India and girls at that time did not have equal opportunities to do sports and education. ” Mother.
“Her older brother was also a champion wrestler in India, but she couldn’t, and I think she always wanted to do something sporty.
“My parents never stopped me, they always pushed me equally,” she adds. “I have role models everywhere, really.”
After helping him with his training during his time in athletics, Bains’ father has also been his coach during his powerlifting career.
In addition to furthering the knowledge gained during his career, he also helped build a gym in the family home in Warwickshire, England, where Bains does most of his training today.
“It’s quite raw and rustic. It’s nothing fancy,” she says. “My dad is an engineer and he built a lot of machines and weights and everything, so it’s all done by hand.
“We have a really great relationship. Obviously, my dad always says that he considers himself a father first and then a coach second… It’s really cool that it’s developed a lot from the ground up – when I was a schoolgirl with a dream – to reach the international level. And I did that with my father.”
One of the highlights of Bains’ powerlifting career so far, she says, was a gold medal in the junior division at the 2019 Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships.
In October, she competed as a senior lifter for the first time at the World Bench Championships in Vilnius, Lithuania, placing sixth and clocking her competition best at 92.5 kg (about 204 lb).
His focus is now on training throughout the winter to prepare for the national championships early next year.
But improving on his biggest lifts and winning more titles is one of Bains’ powerlifting goals.
“I became the first British Sikh woman to go to the World Championships for Great Britain, but then I don’t want to be the last,” she says.
“I want it to open the door to many more diverse people, not just Sikhs, minorities, anyone from diverse backgrounds who didn’t have a chance.”
Bains’ religion is an important part of his playing career.
She chooses to compete under her full name and incorporates the traditional Sikh name Kaur as it is “as a reminder to hold oneself in high esteem, to be a good person, to help people.” Works,” she explains.
Every time she takes to the stage at competitions, Bains takes time to remember the name of God and reflect on the difficulties she has overcome.
“If it weren’t for my faith, I feel like I wouldn’t be respected mentally… It definitely helped me focus in a positive way,” she says.
The report also found that South Asian women are more likely to be inactive than men in the UK.
While acknowledging some of the entry barriers South Asian women may face in sports, Bains says: “I think this issue is often the case in our culture – you need to focus on your academics, get a good job, and do well. Need to get a job.” Yes, no distraction. And often, they see that if you pursue things outside the realm of academia, it can be a distraction.
“It could be a reason some girls don’t do this or they don’t see enough role models. I always hope to get my message out there… because I think if you see someone who’s done it, you can use that as an example and follow suit. Huh.”
To promote that message, Bains visits schools and regularly posts about her powerlifting career on social media.
While auditing her, most days involved getting up at 6 a.m. and going to bed at 1 a.m., between which she was able to study and go to the gym during her day’s work in London.
“There were never enough hours in the day for me,” Bains says. But it all makes sense when he is sent a message saying that he has inspired someone to go to the gym or take up a new sport.
“If I know I’m helping someone or giving them a spark of inspiration,” she adds, “then I’ve done a good job.”