Lifting weights in her salwar kurta – a traditional Indian outfit consisting of a tunic, loose-fitting pants and knotted scarf – Roshni Devi Sangwan stands out from other gym-goers in South Delhi, in the Indian capital New Delhi.
The garb does not appear to hamper her performance: the grandmother of three can perform a 105kg (230lb) trap bar deadlift, 120kg leg presses and 60kg squats.
These are impressive feats for a 70-year-old woman who, before taking up weightlifting in September 2022, had never exercised before, let alone stepped foot in a gym.
At the age of 68, Sangwan, known on Instagram to her 111,000 followers as “Weightlifter Mummy”, was diagnosed with arthritis in her knees. This painful condition causes inflammation and deterioration of the knee joint cartilage.
Roshni Devi Sangwan can perform a 105kg trap bar deadlift. Photo: Ajay SangwanHer doctor said arthritis was normal for someone her age and warned that it would progressively worsen. He recommended that she avoid doing too much housework and climbing stairs, and that she undergo physiotherapy and take short walks for exercise.
After four months of physiotherapy, her son, Ajay Sangwan, suggested she join a gym and train with him. It took her four more months to agree.