India’s first qualifier in Olympic wrestling heavy weight Reetika Hooda’s fitness regime

Reetika Hooda defies tradition, gains strength with small meals, and prepares for Paris Olympics with unwavering determination.

Going through the painful and energy-sucking process of weight-cutting is a nightmare for wrestlers but Reetika Hooda did not have to worry about it.

Wrestlers usually have to go without food, sometimes even without water, to ensure that the weight scale does not tilt against them.

But Reetika's team ensures that she takes additional small meals to gain strength, and chicken was added to the meal plan, defying the family tradition.

She goes through all these because the 22-year-old wrestler from Rohtak used to compete in 72kg but last year she jumped weight class to see if she can succeed in the Olympic weight-class of 76kg.

She not only succeeded, but pushed out established wrestlers like Kiran Bishnoi, whom she idolises, to qualify for the Paris Olympics after crowning herself as the U23 World Champion.

Her natural body weight is around 74-75 kg. So, it was never a great struggle to bring it to 72, not even now. Her body type is such that weight drops quickly.

But the real struggle is to take the weight to 78kg.