Women Power: Meet The Bodybuilder in Hijab Who Has Taken Kerala By Storm!

When women began to debut in bodybuilding in the late 70s, it was a total game changer for fitness enthusiasts. Today, bodybuilding, muscle toning, weight training are words that are not just associated with muscular men, but also to women who have started breaking barriers in the field of physical fitness.

Meet Majiziya Bhanu, who won the Mr Kerala Bodybuilding championship held in Kochi, wearing her hijab!

23-year-old Majiziya Bhanu, hails from Orkkatteri in Kozhikode and is in her final year of undergraduate dentistry studies. She took the competition by storm and wowed the judges with her prowess. Speaking to the Times of India, she informed the publication that she had never before taken part in a bodybuilding competition her fiancé and family gave her the confidence to participate in the event.

Though she may be new to the bodybuilding, she is not new to winning weightlifting championships. Last year she had won the title of the best woman powerlifter in Kozhikode, and even in the morning of the bodybuilding competition, she took part in the bench press championship in Alappuzha and was awarded the title of “The Best Lifter of Kerala.”

Bhanu, who has been training for over a year to be a powerlifter, had little to no experience in bodybuilding and said that she had to ask her powerlifting coach for help, and he would, in turn, send her photos of poses to be displayed, on WhatsApp.

Clad in black, and wearing a headscarf, Bhanu displayed her unique physique through the mandatory four postures and impressed the judges in no time. She found herself at the finals, taking home the prize!

Bhanu didn’t hold herself back to showcase her true potential and is a wonderful inspiration to young women. She says “I don’t defy my religion as I cover my body. I am quite confident about attending more powerlifting championships in future.”

Hey here are other women breaking barriers: Meet India’s First Woman Imam to Lead Both Genders in Friday Prayers

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