Sapna wakes early. Before the world barges in with its needs and notifications, she meets herself - pen in hand, breath steady, spine tall in sunlight. Some days she runs. Other days she walks. But every day, without fail, she moves.

It all seems so graceful now.

But this isn't how her story begins.

Once upon a Weight

Sapna Agarwal was raised in Kolkata - a bright, book-loving girl who adored food and excelled in her studies. She studied commerce and began preparing for her Chartered Accountancy exams, dreaming of a stable career and a loving home.

But like too many women, her first brush with self-worth came not through achievements but through a weighing scale.

By age 20, Sapna weighted 87 kilos. "Nobody will marry a fat girl," someone said. And somehow, she believed it. So she didn't just lose weight - she erased herself. She shed 30 kilos in 6 months, fuelled not by health but by desperation. No gym, no guidance. Just brutal starvation, house chores, and isolation.

And yes, she got married.

But in the process, she lost something far more precious - her vitality, her spark, her joy.

The Invisible Work

The next decade of her life reads like the script of so many Indian women: She moved to Bengaluru, became a full-time homemaker, took care of everyone, and forgot herself.

She cooked, cleaned, raised her kids, smiled at family functions - and silently lived with the consequences of her extreme dieting. Her skin sagged, her energy crashed, and her emotional world dulled to gray. The discipline she once used to shrink her body was now used to silence her soul.

Until one day, she stood in front of the mirror and asked:

"Where did I go?"

And more importantly, Can I come back?

The First Step Back

At 35, Sapna did something revolutionary.

She asked her husband if she could join a gym.

It wasn't easy. She wasn't the gym-type. She didn't own lycra leggings or neon shoes. She wasn't fit or fabulous. She was just... tired.

But she showed up anyway.

The gym was loud, confusing, and terrifying. She felt judged. Out of place. Ashamed. But she had one thing going for her - resolve.

And one person believing in her - a personal trainer who was also a physiotherapist. For the first time in her life, Sapna had a safe space. She learned to lift weights. Build muscle. Trust her body again.

One year later, that trainer had to move abroad. As a parting gift, she urged Sapna to run her first 10k at the Pinkathon.

Sapna laughed. "I can't even run 1k," she said.

"You've already run through far worse," her coach replied.

The Race That Changed Everything

On February 18, 2015, Sapna ran her first 10k. She clocked 53 minutes.

And with every step, she ran back into herself.

People at the gym began talking. "You ran 10k in how much?" they asked. For the first time in years, Sapna felt seen - not for how she looked, but for what she could do.

She was no longer "just a homemaker." She was an athlete.

And she wasn't done yet.

From Finish Lines to Starting Points

Over the next few years, coached by Asif, a veteran runner, Sapna trained like a woman reborn. Her discipline returned - but this time, it was aligned with vitality, not punishment.

In 2018, she ran the Bengaluru Marathon in 3 hours 49 minutes, standing on the podium in her age category. In 2019, she stood first with a 3:52. In 2020, she ran New Delhi Marathon in 3:44.

But just as her running soared, life struck back.

That year, her husband suffered a massive business loss - INR 10 crore gone. Legal battles, police cases, emotional strain. Sapna was exhausted. She slept barely 3-4 hours a night. But she didn't stop moving.

Even when her gut gave up.

When the Body Says No

By late 2020, Sapna's body was breaking down. Severe gut issues made even a bowl of soup painful. Her digestion slowed, her mood plummeted, and fatigue set in like fog. 

So she did something rare among runners.

She stopped.

For 18 months, she took a sabbatical from racing. She enrolled in a gut health certification course from IIN and trained to become a certified wellness coach.

She studied how food affects mood. How breath affects the nervous system. How emotions - when ignored - turn into disease. She rebuilt her own health by journaling, mediating, and honouring her circadian and infradian rhythms. 

And when her body was ready, she returned - not to chase a time goal, but to reclaim her joy.

In 2023, she ran the Bengaluru Marathon again - clocking 3:53

 

Healing Is a Lifestyle
Today, Sapna is more than a marathoner.

She's wellness coach who works with women across the country to help them heal their gut, balance their hormones, manage their emotions, and design lives that feel whole.

She teaches breath-work to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. She teaches mindful eating - not macros, but memories. She explains why stress is catabolic (breaks down the body) and rest is anabolic (builds it up). She helps women understand that running isn't therapy - it's a tool, and only works if you're emotionally supported.

Above all, she teaches that wellness isn't a luxury - it's your right.

The Invisible Work (Rewritten)

When people say "homemaker," they don't often think of discipline, time management, sacrifice or stamina.

But Sapna knows better.

Being a homemaker is a full-time job with no weekends off. You manage meals, moods finances, and futures. You listen, clean, cook, drive, sacrifice - and somewhere along the way, lose your own identity.

Sapna's story is not just about running.

It's about remembering.

Remembering that you are not just someone's mother, someone's wife, someone's daughter. You are someone.

And you deserve to feel strong, joyful, and lit from within.

A Message to Women Over 40

If you're 40 and feeling like it's too late, Sapna has a message for you:

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now."

Whether it's running, baking, dancing, or painting - whatever lights you up, it still matters.

You're not done. You're just beginning.

From Homemaker to Athlete

Today, Sapna lives her mornings with intention.

She blesses her food.

She breathers before reacting.

She journals to meet herself she meets the world.

She coaches women to do the same.

She didn't just run marathons.

She ran herself back to life.

 

BeAthlit Salutes Sapna Agarwal.

For reminding us that joy is a muscle.

That healing is an act of courage.

And that the most powerful comeback... is coming back to yourself.