Generally in Odisha, sportspersons often pursue sports to get a job eventually. However, an emerging bodybuilder from the State has caught the attention of one and all by leaving his job to pursue his passion with determination and in the process achieving national-level success.
Meet Shubhankar Rout from Manipr village in Dhenkanal district. Professionally, Shubhankar was working as a paramedic in a private hospital and getting a good salary. However, the comfort of a safe job and the lure of money could not prevent him from pursuing his passion for bodybuilding. Eventually, he left his job to give his full time to pursue bodybuilding.
Shubhankar had a passion for bodybuilding from his very childhood. However, his family members wanted him to study well and get a secure job. Succumbing to the pressure from his family members, he got admission to a paramedical course in a private institution. After the completion of the course, he got a job in a private hospital.
However, his true calling was something different and at the core of his heart, he wanted to be a bodybuilder. That burning desire always propelled him to prepare as a bodybuilder along with his job. Regular exercises, proper dieting and other subtle nuances of bodybuilding were always part of his daily routine along with his job as a paramedic.
Finally, his dream was fulfilled and persistency was rewarded when he recently grabbed a gold and silver medal each in the Men’s Physique and Junior categories of a National Level Bodybuilding competition in Hyderabad. More than 400 bodybuilders took part in the competition.
“I was preparing for the competition for the last three years. I am so happy to win two medals,” said Subhankar.
With his rare feat in a national-level competition, the emerging bodybuilder has brought laurels for his district and the State.
“Initially, I didn’t get support from my family members to pursue bodybuilding as it was a new-generation sport and they had no knowledge about it. My father gathered information about the sport from different sources gradually and now my family members are supporting me a little bit for the last one year,” said Shubhankar.
Parents of Shubhankar, who were once opposing him to pursue bodybuilding, are now on the blue moon following their son’s success.
“We are so proud of Shubhankar’s feat. He has brought laurels for the village and the entire State by winning two medals in a national-level bodybuilding competition. May God bless him always so that he will reach the pinnacle of success,” said Shubhankar’s father Bijay Rout.
Bolstered by his success in a national-level competition, Shubhankar has now set an aim to script success in various international-level bodybuilding competitions.
(Reported by Rajashree Satapathy)