KASHMA MAHARAJ is graceful as she is gorgeous.
She loves a challenge and invariably hits her mark when it comes.
It’s a feature those closest to her know all too well, but on June 15, Maharaj learnt a new way to focus her energy when she captured the Miss Body Fitness title at the T&T Body Builders Federation National Junior Championships.
Venue was the Ballroom at Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre in St Ann’s, Port-of-Spain, where the young beauty won favour with the judges and captured the hearts of the audience.? ? ?
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A newcomer to the stage, Maharaj admitted she was nervous.
She attempted to compete twice before, but never made the stage.
“My participation at the event was to achieve a personal goal. On stage, I felt I had something else to prove,” said Maharaj, 27, speaking to Arena.
She remembered experiencing butterflies during the pre-show segment of the contest earlier that day.
“I was extremely nervous. I was happy to have the support of my friend Maurisa Subhan. She helped me get dressed, while Karen George helped with my posing, hair and make-up,” Maharaj recalled.
She added: “I said my prayers, walked on staged and tried to put on a good performance.
“By evening I was better prepared.”
It was a night of firsts but not only for Maharaj.
“My family and friends have never really seen me strip down in a bikini.
“People are used to seeing me in the gym in polos and track pants,” she said, laughing.
Maharaj, who has been selected by the T&T Body Builders Federation to represent this country at the Central American Championships (CAC) later this year, dedicated her victory to her cousin Christopher Sirju.
Sirju, was a fitness buff. He died in a car crash.
No pain no gain:
Maharaj trained twice a day, for three months in preparation for the competition.
On several occasions, she almost broke down in tears.
“One of my training partners kept an eye on me. When he saw I was crumbling he’d come across and give me the push I needed to continue.
“There were days when my mind wanted to train, but my body said something else,” she revealed.
Maintaining her diet
A diet free of salt and sugar saw Maharaj’s attitude change for the worst.
“I’m generally a happy and laughing person. But on that diet I was irritable,” she said.
“A hungry man is an angry man. A hungry builder is an angry bodybuilder,” said Maharaj.
“The meals weren’t the tastiest.
“It was either grilled or boiled. I had egg whites along with half cup of raw oats mixed with water for breakfast. Eating oats prepared that way felt like I was swallowing paper,” she said.
Family and friends ensured that Maharaj ate her six daily meals on time.
An academic buff too
Maharaj is a certified personal fitness instructor at Fitness Zone located at Gulf City in San Fernando.
That’s where she trained for victory in this year’s National Junior Championships.
She owns and operates a health supplement store established three years ago, when she resigned from CMMB, where she was employed as a financial adviser.
“Money is not the only thing,” she said.
Maharaj graduated with honours in business management from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus, where she attained minors in human resource and marketing.
But it doesn’t stop there. She went on to become a certified safety officer.
Always active
Maharaj has been involved in fitness for as long as she could remember.
She started martial arts at age eight and was actively involved in gymnastics, as well as track and field as a student at Naparima Girls High School.
At UWI, she participated in marathons and aerobathons too.
She’s from a family steeped in sports. Her mother Hazel Tywang Maharaj still competes in marathons, while her father and principal of Salazar Trace Primary School in Point Fortin, Devanan Maharaj, serves as the school’s track and field, football and cricket coach.
Q&A
Who is Kashma Maharaj?
A strong woman: physically and emotionally in terms of my upbringing. A person my friends can turn to whether they need help or someone to talk to.
I try to be tops in what ever I do and I don’t limit myself. I like variety.
What makes you unique?
I’m full of surprises. I like doing things people don’t expect me to do.
Are you a woman or a lady?
I’m a woman who likes being treated like a lady. I demand respect. I like the old-fashioned things, like having a man open a door for me or pulling a chair for me to sit.
Big on beauty?
No. People say I’m such a “Tom Boy.” I have the greatest difficulty putting on make-up and combing my hair. With me it takes some effort. But I make sure I look good.
How did you start strength
training?
My friend Joel Sherwood placed a pair of ten pound dumbbells in my hands.
How many training partners do you have?
Four: Dr Nari Nandlal, Persad “Shammy” Ramroop, Richard Hosein and Dave Gosine.
Your best body part?
People say my back. I say my upper body.
Concerned about losing your feminine mystique?
No. I have been able to strike a balance. I can strength train and still maintain my femininity although I train like a man.
What’s your idea of beauty?
Northern American and French Caribbean fitness competitors Monica Branche; Michelle Levesque; Annette Milbers; Mandy Blanc and my mom.
Why exercise?
I’ve lost too many family members to cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. I decided to practice fitness and share it with family and friends.