Hustle for that muscle

Hailing from a Marwari community, Disha has had her own challenges but ended up being what she always wanted to be.

Disha is a strong believer of the saying, 'The sweat is the footprints towards a better you'. Along with being a post graduate in Finance, she is also a dance choreographer, fitness instructor and an entrepreneur owning 'The DMK'.

Disha shares, "Ever since my childhood I was motivated by my father to exercise and stay fit. He always made sure I had some activity to do which led me to playing sports in school and also becoming the Sports Captain. I have also played sports at the state level. But my life changed completely when I took up CA - 1.5 years of difficulty, monotony, and studying for almost 16 hours every day made me realize this is not where my happiness lies. It was then that I decided to get certified in Zumba and found my inspiration."

According to Disha, people used to come up to her saying that she has helped them in some way and that satisfaction of helping people kept her going. She still takes up courses to gain more knowledge and help more people.

Sharing about her journey so far, she says that it was no less than a roller coaster filled with ups and downs.

She adds. "Initially, when I made a choice to switch to fitness and Zumba, a lot of people said a lot of things, even my parents had a tough time accepting what I was doing. There were a lot of questions raised and my credibility was questioned but here I am today doing what makes me happy, trying to help people around me and make a difference. I started choreography at a young age by teaching little kids. One event led to another and till date I have pulled off 45 successful events and still counting. One of the main reasons I've grown the way I have and made my mark in the industry is because of the vibe I carry while I am teaching, the ease of learning, and the personal touch I give to each event."

Hyderabad always feels like home

Disha shares that one of the main reasons that she had such a beautiful journey is because it was in Hyderabad - the city of pearls that treats every human like a pearl.

She adds, "Despite the fact that I am not originally from Hyderabad, this city has accepted me so beautifully for who I am that I cannot be associated with any other place. It accepts every individual for who they are and the kind of appreciation my work gets here, I cannot think of any other place where it could be the same. I am not a person who loves travelling but from the few places I have visited, Hyderabad feels like home. This city is so calm and welcoming that anyone can feel the warmth and belonging. It accepts you for you and helps bring out the best in you."

The fitness challenges

Disha always sawher mother working 24*7 with no time for herself or time to relax which was the same in every household. There were kids and teenagers who did nothing productive and ate all day. Her clients used to tell Disha, how they missed working out during pandemic.

She adds, "Seeing all this around me lead to the 14 days challenge for women which aimed at helping women become fitter. When I introduced the 24 days challenge, I honestly did not think it would get such a massive response but here I am with season 9 starting soon. The 14 days challenge was an initiative at the beginning of the pandemic that impacted around 100+ people and I might have another season soon. 8 seasons of the 24 days challenge have completed successfully with women loving the change it has bought in them and season 9 is just about to begin. Apart from this, I also have an initiative called the 'FITTRIP'. This aims at bringing various fitness coaches under one umbrella to help people."

Stereotype linked with the industry

One of the biggest challenges for Disha when she entered the industry was her age and gender; being expected to get married.

"When I entered the industry, it was very difficult for me to survive as I constantly was under parental and societal pressure and had no in-depth knowledge. Another challenge was the decision of taking up a career in fitness itself as I had no one to guide me and didn't know anyone who did this before to look up to. Getting underpaid was a challenge too as it disappointed me and lowered my morale. Despite all these challenges I am on a mission to change as many women's lives as I can, not just physically but mentally and spiritually.

I want to help them build confidence in themselves so that they can win the world. Apart from this I will continue educating myself in the field of fitness so that I can help as many people as possible. I am also aiming to start and establish a business that will help people and generate employment. Getting recognized as a known choreographer in India is at the top of my bucket list," ends the fitness freak.