Shalini Soni: Finding Opportunity in Adversity

Have you ever looked back upon the opportunities that you have missed and thought about what they could have led to? Reflecting on her life journey, Shalini Soni credits the progress of her fitness to the opportunities that she took up. Amidst all the challenges that she has faced, Shalini, a resident of Katihar, Bihar, worked on herself and accomplished her long-standing dream of being a certified fitness trainer.

When Shalini started working out and discovered how passionate she was about fitness, she had to keep it from her family because he didn’t approve of it. Eventually, she stopped going to the gym but nothing could stop her from working out.

Some years hence, Shalini has improved herself to such an extent that she is one of the top-performing members in the SocailBoat game. In a conversation with SocialBoat, Shalini talks about her challenges and how she conquered them by taking up every opportunity that crossed her path.  

Discovering A Passion

During her school days, when Shalini was first introduced to the idea of fitness and working out, she was fascinated by it. When she started working out, she knew that this was something that she would want to continue forever.

“I had discovered my passion and it was fitness.”

Shalini joined the gym but didn't tell her family about it.

“They wanted me to pursue Law but I wanted to do something in the field of fitness.”

In the End, Also Lies a Beginning

One day when Shalini was forced to quit going to the gym. She felt like she had lost something.

“During those days when I didn’t work out, I felt completely lost.”

Shalini had also started experiencing pain near her kidney. With the experience that she had with working out, she knew that she could cure it with exercise. This acted as a push for her.

She started working out at home. She was pursuing her passion again, and gradually she was able to cure her pain.

Shalini realised that being physically present in a gym wasn’t necessary to pursue and practice fitness. It could be done from her home as well.  

Hunting for Opportunities

It is said that when opportunities come knocking, you must open the door to them. However, it is also said that you must keep your ears open to be able to hear the knocking. Shalini did exactly that.

She started participating in online fitness challenges. This worked for her in two ways- a) she was able to work out and improve herself, and b) she won fitness equipment as a reward and this led to the making of her home gym. She especially recalls winning Melinda Soman's fitness challenge.

Shalini soon enrolled in a course on fitness training and received her certification. From the day she started working out at home, she has improved herself massively, and Shalini credits herself for the progress.  

“Without worrying about the result, I just kept doing my thing.”

Present and Future

Currently, Shalini is training 3 women through the virtual mode. She takes training sessions in the evening, and her mornings are dedicated to working out and accomplishing her fitness goals.

"Online challenges and virtual fitness have been an important part of my fitness journey. Because of SocialBoat’s game, I have improved a lot. Earlier I would just do 20-25 pushup, now I can do 45 in one go.”

Rating her improvement over the years, Shalini says,

“I give myself 8/10.”

Shalini wishes to pursue a career in fitness and advises all young dreamers to take up every opportunity that would lead lead to it.

For more such content, visit SocialBoat.