Success comes to those who work hard for it. Once you sink into the commitment, there is no looking back. The story of Yasmin Karachiwala, the pioneer of the Pilates physical fitness system in India, shows us that a dream is not far away if we are ready to pursue it. Known as the expert behind some of the best celebrity bodies we see, she has come a long way.
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a cat of a rebel
“I grew up in Mumbai and went to a girls’ convent school, always feeling like a misfit. I was completely tomboy and kept telling my mom to put me in a co-ed school because I wanted to play sports with the boys. I grew up in a building where I was one of only two girls in a group of 15 boys. I was comfortable being one of the boys. I was lazy and never participated in sports because I hated running. I loved doing things where I could show my strength.
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Even in school, I only played short put and javelin throw as it required strength. I always made excuses when it came to running. I never wear clothes, and instead, sneak into my older brother’s closet for shirts.
When I had very long hair, I was inclined towards becoming a tomboy. Every day, I would bother to tie my mother up until I was satisfied, which took an hour. One day, she took me to a salon and got my hair cut. I got very angry and told him that if you want a boy then I will give him a boy. That’s when I started cutting my hair short and became a complete tomboy. I am a complete rebel.
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oblivion day
It all started when a friend of mine asked me to go to the gym with him. I went to the aerobics section because it felt great. Like most teenagers, I thought I was a great dancer. So I went into the room and felt the biggest shock of my life because I was so incontinent. I made a fool of myself but the stubbornness inside me caught fire. I couldn’t believe I was bad at it and started going to class every day until I had completed the entire routine.
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My teacher recognized my talent, and I will always be grateful to him. I was going to the US for an exchange program and he asked me to do a fitness course from there. None were certified in India then. I went for the exchange program as well as did a fitness course from ACE (American College of Exercise). I came back to India, started STEP classes, and trained to be a teacher for kindergarten students. I started teaching in the morning and training in the evening.
After some time, I got a job as an English teacher at the French International School in Breach Candy. I too got married by then and went to the Cuffe Parade. So, I used to travel around the city every day to take classes and training sessions. I enjoyed what I did and kept doing it until I had my first son. That’s when I realized that teaching so many kids in one school requires a lot of patience and by the time I reached home, I was really impatient. That’s when I stopped teaching and focused on becoming a mother.
fit women don’t make men
Teaching just two group classes was not enough and I wanted to do more. So, I studied to become a personal trainer. It was very challenging, as everyone told me that even after all these years of training, I would start looking like a man.
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As people started seeing my body changing, they wanted to try it too. They started coming to me for training. I started a small studio in my guest room, which no one was doing at that time. As the number of people increased, I shifted to my living room. My kids were very young and my husband didn’t mind as long as I was at home with the boys.
I was happy because I was doing what I loved and I wanted to be a mother too. I replaced a section of my roof and built a studio, which was my goal. When my kids started going to school I needed a bigger space and I moved to Bandra. Over the years, I felt as though my work was set in personal training. So I went to America and studied Pilates. I became the first BASI (Body Arts and Science International) certified Pilates instructor in India.
