“I still can’t believe it—me, Sonam Phuntsho from a small village in Trashigang, standing on that stage, holding the gold medal for Bhutan in the 15th South Asian Bodybuilding & Physique Sports Championships. 65 kg category. One medal. One dream. One man left standing.
I’m 45 now. Some say that’s too late for this kind of thing. Maybe they’re right. But my body didn’t give up on me, because I didn’t give up on it. I’ve trained in silence for years. Waking before the sun, lifting weights in makeshift gyms, watching every grain of rice I eat. No carbs, no salt, and sometimes, barely any water. People see the shine of the medal, but not the sweat it took to earn it.
There was just one other competitor in my category. Just the two of us. But I didn’t compete against him. I competed against every voice in my head that told me I wouldn’t make it.
When they announced my name as the winner, I didn’t know whether to cry or smile. I just looked up and said thank you—to the land that raised me, to the body that carried me, and to the country that believed in me.”
Tashi Delek, Bhutan. This gold is for you.
