Walking was challenging, and to run like normal kids was far from his imagination. “All I wanted was to be able to walk like a normal kid. So I had a special shoe designed for my needs. Growing up was hard. To see the other kids run around and to realise I could never do it was very disheartening. However, I didn’t let that bring me down. At age 12, I gathered all the courage and decided to give Lawn tennis a shot. Now you may ask, how can a kid who can barely walk play tennis? I always strongly believed in the old cliché that ‘Your body hears everything your mind says’. I took baby steps, sure they were painful but I did not give up. A year later, I played my first tournament and limped my way to the third round. I felt like I was on top of the world.” he says.

At the age of 15, he underwent surgery to correct his clubfoot. Though the surgery was successful and had him wearing normal shoes, it was during the recovery period that he picked up unhealthy eating practices. “Due to my lethargic lifestyle, I increased my weight to nearly 100 kg. There were other complications too. I had to get back in shape – I started working out and followed a strict diet. I started seeing positive results and decided to make fitness part of my life,” shares Shreejith.

The fitness enthusiast is now a certified personal trainer and an ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant. Though he joined an engineering course, Shreejith quit it after two years. “My true passion lies in fitness. Though my family didn’t support me initially, I was sure about what I wanted in life. I decided to start online coaching — it is cost efficient and I found it very convenient. Nobody can force anyone to focus on fitness. There should be a motivating factor in each individual to take up fitness as a lifestyle,” he sums up.