Sydney lad Ajay Sharma showed no interest in sport growing up.
Today he is a bodybuilding champion, having won no less than 23 medals since 2020.
He’s sure come a long way.
A Diagnostic Radiographer by profession, Ajay stumbled onto bodybuilding at university in 2017. During a semester break, he joined a bunch of friends to take membership of a new gym that had opened in their vicinity.
“There was no looking back after that,” Ajay told Indian Link.
He transformed not only his physique but also the way he looked at his life and his mindset.
“For the first few days, just the emotion of getting in there and training and how all of it felt afterwards, was really rewarding for me,” he recalled. “But for the first year, I did not follow any diet, or do any crazy cardio or runs. Instead, I spent more time studying about training, perhaps more than my degree! I was reading research articles, listening to podcasts and watching interviews of bodybuilders back in the day.”
It was in 2020 when Ajay participated in his first bodybuilding competition, ANB (Australian Natural Bodybuilding Competition), and brought home the honours in the “juniors” division.
“I was 22 at the time and I managed to win gold. I just couldn’t believe it. But that was the beginning of my love for the sport, and my love for competing on stage. And yet for me, it is not just about looking shredded and lean on stage, it is about achieving something with my mind and body,” says Ajay.
Since 2020, bodybuilding champion Ajay Sharma has participated in six competitions, competing 23 times on stage and winning 23 medals. Only days ago on 23 April, he participated in the ICN Queensland competition, winning the Best Pose award.
But there’s no sitting around on his laurels. In the next four weeks, Ajay will be participating in three competitions. The hard work is on, with training and diet control. And of course, the body enthusiast reiterated, his mindset is more important for him than his wins.
“At the end of the day, I do not care if I win a medal or not, ‘he said with clarity. ‘The important thing for me is staying accountable to the reason I started competing. The other important thing is my mindset, whether it is during a competition or during the process of preparing for one – it is the most important thing.”
The ‘mindset’ of course, continues to evolve in wonderful ways – such as in spreading the word. He’s taken to posting online ‘before‘ and ‘after‘ photos of himself to motivate others, even though it‘s a daunting thing to do.
“Now, when I look back at those photos, I almost do not recognise myself in them. I just appreciate how far I have come. I did not want to share them earlier, as I was not comfortable with how I looked in those ‘before’ photos. But my friends encouraged me, saying that this could really help someone out there, and so that is what I did,” Ajay Sharma described.
He recalled, “I locked the phone and threw it onto my bed after posting the photos. When I checked my phone an hour later, it was just love and support from people. They were sharing it on their stories and heartfelt messages were pouring in.”
Even though Ajay is still competing professionally, he has also started helping people around him. He is currently helping his cousin lose weight, and a couple in Brisbane who he met during a competition.
“I did do an extra certification to make sure that I could educate myself to the fullest and provide quality to my clients,” he clarified.
Bodybuilding champion Ajay Sharma is now onto another goal, planning to help others achieve their goals.
“I want to keep competing in these competitions but also help others achieve the best results possible, whether it is losing weight or bodybuilding,” Ajay revealed. “I am about to launch my own coaching brand in June.”
To see Ajay compete, check out the AusFitness Expo (http://www.ausfitnessexpo.com.au) on Saturday April 29 and Sunday April 30, 10am-5pm at the ICC Sydney.
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