Globally, the inclusion of transgender athletes in sporting events has been a controversial topic, and people are worried about creating a level playing field, in which a variety of problems can arise, such as: men are born with a physical advantage over women, men will have a greater advantage in women's competitions, and women will have more disadvantages in competing in men's competitions, so the International Sports Federation has developed many rules in recent years to solve this problem.
In 2015, the IOC issued new guidelines allowing transgender athletes to compete. Indian bodybuilder Aryan Pasha is one such person who is a transgender person who overcame gender stereotypes and obstacles to become India's first transgender bodybuilding champion.
I. Aryan Pasha's
Aryan Pasha, who was born in Nila, India, on December 5, 1991, when she was named "Nyala", realized early on that he didn't look like a girl. From elementary school, he had been wearing the uniform of a boy to school, and he felt more comfortable with his brothers than with his sisters.
As a child, Aryan always liked sports and had excellent athletic talent, however, he had a very painful time in adolescence, because the process of menstruation made him feel uncomfortable, he was constantly ridiculed by others, bullied, etc., which caused him serious psychological damage. He began to become depressed, feeling alienated, sad, frustrated and angry, and the intense depression made him very miserable and even had thoughts of suicide.
Fortunately, Aryan's stepmother introduced him to the concept of "transgender man". Aryan decided to undergo surgery to transform into a male at the age of 16, and fortunately, his family expressed support for the decision. At the age of 18-19, he underwent two major surgeries and began to confirm that he was a man, and he was finally satisfied with his life.
Aryan said, "First of all, accept yourself! For me, my identity is the most important thing, I feel very strong and confident! "Aryan is a successful lawyer and has a passion for bodybuilding. He has been a fitness enthusiast since he was a child, competed in several sports when he was in school, and is also a national skating champion.
India's first transgender bodybuilding champion
In 2014, aryan began strength training in addition to studying law in Mumbai. The main reason aryan first trained was to strengthen his muscles and make his lean body stronger. Gradually, he found a passion in his exercise, and from then on he realized that he could dedicate himself to the field.
In 2017, Aryan made a difficult decision when he quit his bar job to focus on bodybuilding training full-time. For the next 3 to 4 months, he trained in the gym for 6 hours a day. Since his body can't naturally produce testosterone, he has to work very hard to get the same training effect as an average man.
On December 1, 2018, Aryan finished second in the Musclemania India Men's Fitness Competition, a major international bodybuilding competition. Because Muskelania is a natural bodybuilding competition and cannot use hormonal drugs, including testosterone, etc., Aryan told organizers that he is a transgender man who needs to take testosterone regularly as hormone replacement therapy, and they allow him to use it for the last time before the competition (he injects it every 21 days).
Despite these challenges, Aryan is proud to have competed and won, saying: "It's my dream to compete in the men's division, I've won gold in the women's category, but that's the life I want – it's about competing with other men. I enjoy every second on stage because it's what I dreamed of. I'm not nervous at all, I just want to finish the race like a champion."
Following the success of 2018, Aryan went on to compete in several national and international bodybuilding competitions. Given the popularity of bodybuilding in India, Aryan doesn't just win bodybuilding competitions, but sends a message to all transgender athletes that achieving goals is within reach in the face of adversity.
Aryan has finished in the top five in three international competitions in the subsequent career, and the biggest victory of his career was to finish first in the IHFF competition in 2020.
For the most part, transgender people have to face obstacles at the social, psychological, and family levels, but Aryan broke down social barriers, overcame depression, and won bodybuilding titles in men's bodybuilding competitions, which he was motivating and inspiring for many athletes given the hardships he has endured throughout his career.