This Nike Trainer Shows Us How Hard Work Always Reaps Results

This Nike Trainer Shows Us How Hard Work Always Reaps Results

Most of the time, we get carried away with what we SHOULD be doing, rather than what we WANT to be doing. We get stuck in professions that we do not love as much as our passion, and pass off our passion as a hobby. We’ve all looked at our flaws and our issues under a microscope and instead of overcoming them by working hard, we undermine our own abilities. But not for THIS fitness trainer!

Breaking all norms and gender expectations, Nike+ Training Club’s Fitness Trainer Urmi Kothari turned her love for fitness into her daily bread, and she couldn’t be loving it any more. This now professional fitness trainer was a mere teen, just like you and me. Her journey began at 13 and since then, she’s experimented with various sports, such as martial arts, yoga, basketball, and functional training. Urmi shows us that through hard work and dedication, you can achieve whatever you’ve set your mind to, no matter how unconventional it is! She believes in reaping what you sow, stating that whatever hard work you put in, will most definitely reflect in the results.

Calling herself the ‘underdog’, at 24 Urmi made a decision to leave her job post her MBA, that set ablaze her path to success. Since we are celebrating woman power, get inspired by Urmi and check out how much of a total girl boss this woman is!

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMJZLTKjbRx/?taken-by=coach.urmi&hl=en

1. PRACTICE ALWAYS MAKES PERFECT

“I was always interested in playing a sport and I wanted to give it structure, so that’s when I joined basketball at the age of 13. On a daily basis, I was the only girl playing with 10 to 15 other boys, and I started out as a mediocre player — in fact, I was skeptical whenever I got the ball. For me to play with people who were way stronger than me, in terms of skill and strength as well, was a good learning experience. I would stay back alone and practice shooting, making sure I got better. Eventually, there was a point where my conversion rate was so good that the boys would literally yell “don’t let her shoot, don’t let her shoot!” All the boys knew I was competition and that feeling was amazing. Since then, I worked extra hard at anything I’ve put my heart to – and it’s always given me results.”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJiBihdDm_4/?taken-by=coach.urmi&hl=en

2. IT’S OKAY TO TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH

“I was not happy with my job post my MBA — I was 24 and knew that I had a background in sports, dance, and martial arts. I was extremely unhappy at the time and then I came across my guru, who does a combination of martial arts and dance in Kerala. I decided to take that leap of faith and try it out for 3 months. It was such a drastic change from urban to rural. It was a literal now-or-never situation. I knew that if I didn’t try it now, I would never know and I didn’t want to live my life with that ‘what if?’. I had this thought that I didn’t want to be known for what I am, but for who I am, so I decided to give it a shot. Worst case scenario, I would come back and get back to advertising.

“My parents were supportive of my decision and luckily, I was financially secure. The training at the Daksha Sheth Dance Company was rigorous, as it doesn’t give you room to think of what’s wrong — you are constantly learning. I was diagnosed with runner’s knee and that’s when I started doing a lot of body weight training. I spent 4 years in Kerela and when I came back, I started training with friends. Within 2 months I had so many people who would come to me for training, that I realised that this is what I wanted to do! It completely transformed my life.”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNMgEUaDIs_/?taken-by=coach.urmi

3. HAVE A HOLISTIC APPROACH

“Nowadays, people constantly say fitness is not just a workout, it’s a lifestyle, but when I started out, this wasn’t the case. When I train my clients, or my ‘teammates’, I don’t want to be just a personal trainer, I want to be more and give more. It’s beyond just weight loss or calorie burn. I want to give them what I have learnt from fitness and sport in life. I want to empower them with the right knowledge and technique so that tomorrow, they can remember it by themselves and do it the right way.

“That’s why I feel like you need the right attitude and technique to do things, whatever it may be — even the various weight loss and fad diets that come out. Otherwise you are just promoting low self-esteem for people who are differently shaped. Everyone does not have the same body structure, so one can’t be promoting a single body image! What you can be promoting is the single spirit of sport and that’s what Da Da Ding was all about — different people coming from different areas of fitness, who all had that one badass, unstoppable thing in common.”

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMX6DGaj7vI/?taken-by=coach.urmi

4. KEEP GOING

“There are times you may feel like, “how does this make sense”, “what are you doing”, and “where are you going?” I think everyone draws a line where they think this is worth it and this isn’t anymore, and that’s exactly what I did. I kept asking myself that every time I was down, and if it is worth it, it will pass. If it is a down period, you just have to keep positive and it will make you stronger. You have to be around people who can help you destress and keep you positive, rather than add to your worries — this makes a huge difference. There will be days where you will be demotivated. It is not possible to stay motivated on all the days, but it is possible to stay disciplined. That’s what will pull you through.”

 

01-1

 

“I love teaching and I always think of myself as a strict taskmaster, yet I cannot be arrogant in order to connect with them. I sort of carry that in my custom NIKEiD shoes, which are black with a spunk and edginess of volt. I resonate with black a lot, as it has that underplayed statement that reflects in my job as a teacher. People think I am an extrovert, but actually I don’t open up quickly and take a lot of time to connect to people. That’s why I wanted my shoe to be underplayed too. The 12 etched in it is my lucky number because it is the number of the universe, the number of perfection and also the double of my birth date. The ‘Aum’ is because I’m a big believer in energy.”

Inspired? What’s stopping you from getting out there and doing your thing? Start moving with the Nike+ Training Club app or sign up for a weekly class here. Or you could start by creating your custom NIKEiDs at Nike.com.

To keep up with Urmi’s inspiring journey, follow her on Instagram.

* This is a dedicated post in collaboration with Nike.

Tatiana Dias

Tiny but fierce, our Fashion & Beauty Writer grooves to her own soundtrack. An animal lover at heart, she plays proxy mommy to pretty much all the strays she meets.

Read More From Tatiana
Seen it all?

We’ve got more!