Rita Jairath is not an uncommon name amongst the bodybuilding fraternity. Apart from being one of India’s first woman bodybuilders, she is a writer, columnist, and fitness regime consultant. She received an honorary doctorate from the United Nations Diplomatic Mission in Women and Child Empowerment.
With 13 major surgeries, taking care of and successfully raising a child with autism, she completed her graduation and post-graduation from Delhi University. She now victoriously runs a full-time business in dietary supplements and exercise therapy, despite having to deal with incredibly complicated family life after a childhood with a mother who has schizophrenia. She is also trained in Indian classical music and the Indian classical dance form of Bharatnatyam.
Rita is synonymous with a surmounter as she pursued her bodybuilding competitive career almost after devoting two decades to her family and child. She is truly an inspiration for all those women who have incessantly dedicated their lives to their families and are so drained by the time that they surrender to their dreams. She abides by the rule that it’s never too late to rise and shine. Rita is a guide and mentor to upcoming athletes and wishes to create awareness of various fitness aspects further. She also provides advice and consultation to sportsmen and trainers regarding sports nutrition and diets.
One Person, Many Laurels
Dr. Rita Jairath won the Gold’s Gym Ms. Fitness title in 2011 and then went on to win the national body lifting championship consecutively for three years. She is the first-ever Indian woman to compete in the Arnold Classic, Amateur Olympia, and in the figure division in the IFBB and National Physique Committee (NPC).
Scoring first place in the New York Championship and the IFBB Pro card are some of the key victories of her career. Sir Dr. Huz, Wockhardt Foundation, on behalf of “The World Peacekeepers Movement,” conferred Rita with the title of World Peace Ambassador owing to her achievements, dedication to serving humanity, and commitment towards the cause of peace.
Rita has brought some groundbreaking changes in health, fitness, and wellbeing. This fetched her the Iconic Independent Woman award 2020 on the occasion of 74th Independence Day on 15th August 2020. The Society of Menstrual Disorders and Hygiene Management has awarded Dr. Rita a certificate in appreciation of outstanding dedication and service to the nation and fight against Corona (COVID-19) in lockdown duration.
Being an IFBB figure pro, Rita has judged many international and national competitions, including the IFBB shows. She is the only female pro-league international bodybuilding judge from Asia for the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding). On the occasion of Women’s Day 2020, Dr. Rita was listed first in the Forbes India magazine featuring a group of incredible self-made Indian women.
Rita is the epitome of perfectly balancing personal and professional life. She has and is still continuing to set an example, especially for women of 40+ age, by motivating and bringing about a paragon transformation in society. Her zeal for working hard in educating and training other aspiring athletes through seminars and workshops is applaud-worthy.
Going further ahead at this stage in her life by participating in various events as a speaker and fitness consultant, she is still winning much recognition for the country, proving that age is just a number. A film portraying her life is the next big thing Rita is focusing on and will surely be another inspiring ride for her followers. Her craving to work tirelessly to learn new things and polish her skills is an impetus and motivation for people from all walks of life.
