Shivani Agarwalla has proved it is never too late to take up a sport. The first Indian woman to win a gold medal in kettlebell military snatch at World Kettlebell Sport Federation (WKSF) World Championship in Chisinau, Moldova, held from June 4–7, had taken to the sport just about 10 years back.

Her motivation? To lose the postpartum weight she had gained after the birth of her son. “I had never been into any sport. Coming from a traditional Marwari family, even going to the gym seemed a little strange. But I was determined and I was mentored by my coach Arnav Sarkar.

“This is what good mentorship can do. Now I travel the world and this is my seventh world title,” Shivani, 43, told The Telegraph.

Representing India in Chisinau through GSIF (Girevoy Sport India Federation), Shivani performed with a 16kg kettlebell and completed 222 repetitions in the 12-minute time limit.

Her performance earned her the gold in the masters (35-44) category and silver in the open category.

Shivani also earned the rank of candidate for master of sport (CMS), a high ranking in kettlebell lifting.

She had earlier won the world championship title in Uzbekistan (2017), Australia (2019), France (2021), Greece (2022), India (2023) and Belgium 2024.

A chartered accountant by profession, a TEDx speaker and a mother, Shivani said: “Representing India on the world stage is always an honour. This medal is the result of years of disciplined training, perseverance, and the unwavering support of my coach, family, teammates, and the entire kettlebell community. I am grateful for this opportunity and proud to bring glory to my country.”

Sarkar has been training her for the past ten years and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of kettlebell sport in India.

Shivani’s son, Lavik, has also taken to the sport and is being guided by Sarkar.