28-07-2025
Dropped out at 17 and beat cancer by 20, this Uttarakhand man now deadlifts 200 kg
When most teenagers were navigating textbooks and exams, Paras Bajaj from Uttarakhand's Sitarganj was dreaming of fitness. Studies never interested him. Instead, Bajaj spent his time during the COVID-19 lockdown watching fitness reels, quietly dreaming of working on his just 17, Paras made a bold move - he dropped out of school in Class 12 and shifted to Delhi to train at a professional fitness academy. 'That's where I learnt fitness isn't just about muscles - it's about discipline,' Bajaj told Humans of Bombay. Soon, he was teaching others, and a bigger dream began to take shape: opening his own knocked at 18, when he received a government start-up loan. Bajaj set up his gym in his hometown in 2024, imported machines, began training clients, and watched his body transform alongside his growing business.
But two months in, life took a devastating turn. What started as a mild cough turned out to be something far more serious - cancer. He was diagnosed with a 5kg tumour. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paras Bajaj || Fitness Trainer (@iparasbajaj_)'Things didn't really hit me until I went to Chandigarh for treatment. There, the doctors informed me the tumour had crushed my right lung,' he followed, and so did a gruelling phase of physical decline. 'My muscles vanished. Hair falling. I used to sleep seated–lying down was impossible,' he told Humans of mirror, once a source of motivation, became a reminder of how much he had even in his weakest moments, he held onto one thought: 'Mera gym aur fitness ka kya hoga (What will happen to my fitness regimen and gym)?'On April 30, 2024, Paras underwent surgery. Just 12 days later, he was declared cancer-free. And one and a half months after that, he was back at his gym - his body frail, but his spirit stronger than Paras continues to rebuild his strength and story. Now cancer-free, he hit a milestone of late - deadlifting 200 kgs. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paras Bajaj || Fitness Trainer (@iparasbajaj_)'I'm proud of my scars. Cancer didn't take away my dream. It made me stronger. And in this journey I've learnt that time can change everything, but if your will is strong-you can rebuild anything,' he said.- EndsMust Watch
