Mother of two and fitter than ever before, 38-year-old Roohi Saini trains fitness enthusiasts in a gym popular amongst Melbourne’s Indian community.
Not very long ago, she battled depression and anxiety, but a year down the line, the gym and boxing trainer has emerged as not only a survivor but also a fighter.
Highlights:
- Melbourne-based Roohi Saini, a mother of two, works as a full-time fitness and boxing trainer
- She suffered severe anxiety and depression during her second pregnancy, feared to see the mirror
- Working as a fitness trainer has given her hope and professional pride
- Women's Day message: 'Everything is possible to achieve and if I can do it, anyone can do it'
Ms Saini, who now works at Kahma 24/7 Gym in Melbourne’s West, believes her journey as a fitness trainer has given her new hope and an emerging career that she takes pride in.
“My career as a trainer has not only given me a healthy lifestyle but is also an opportunity to help others, and I’m very proud of it," she says with sounding satisfied with the turn her life has taken.
She came to Australia in 2009 after marriage and was faced with several challenges.
In an interview with SBS Punjabi, Ms Saini said that her journey as a fitness and boxing trainer is inspired by her late father who always wanted her to do something offbeat in life.
“My father always inspired me to do something different in my life. He had a desire to see me working as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, but destiny had different plans as he passed away when I was just 10,” recollects Ms Saini.
Source: Supplied by Roohi Saini
“I felt hollow inside as I could not become an IAS officer as he desired. But by becoming a fitness trainer, I’ve tried to do something different to bring pride to my beloved father," she adds.
Ms Saini spoke about how severely depression and anxiety affected her life and how she fought them.
“It was the darkest phase of my life. I was just three months pregnant with my second child when the doctor told me that I have severe anxiety and depression issues. After I delivered my child, I was prescribed antidepressants as I feared to face myself in the mirror," recalls the fitness trainer.
“After a few sessions with my psychologist, I was advised to do what my father taught me, as the thought of not being able to fulfil his dreams was a major reason for my anxiety," Ms Saini says.
“This journey might have been full of ups and downs, but the fact that I’m doing what my father taught me gives me a sense of satisfaction that I did not let him down," Ms Saini says with satisfaction.
Source: Supplied by Roohi Saini
Click on the audio icon in the picture at the top of the page to listen to the interview in Punjabi.
Listen to SBS Punjabi Monday to Friday at 9 pm. Follow us on
