Early in the morning, while much of the city is asleep, Bushra M is already beginning her daily race against time. Her schedule is a relentless sequence, working as a gym trainer, caring for her son, and hours of late-night study for the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations. Also an athlete preparing for the upcoming World Arm Wrestling Championship, every single second counts for her.

Bushra stands out in the sport as one of the few arm wrestlers capable of competing at the highest level using both hands. But long before she stepped up to the competitive table, Bushra had to fight for her right to step onto the sports field at all.

Growing up as the youngest of seven in an orthodox family, Bushra was a standout athlete and top scorer during her school and college years. She possessed a natural confidence in sports and dreamt of joining the NCC, but her strict family initially kept her from pursuing athletics further. Following her undergraduate studies, she was married before her degree results were even announced. When her son was just one year old, the marriage ended in separation, pushing her into trauma for more than a year.

"I realized I shouldn’t remain sad and cry over things that I can't do anything about," Bushra recalls. "I had to be both father and mother to my son. I wanted to raise him without depending on anyone. He is my ultimate strength,” she added.

Determined to rebuild her life, the B.Com graduate enrolled in a gym for fat loss. There, her life shifted direction. Encouraged by her mother, who stood as a rock of support despite societal judgment, Bushra completed a diploma in fitness training.

After 10 months of hard work, she got her first job as a gym trainer, earning ₹2,000 a month. "To me back then, that first pay check felt like ₹2 lakh,” she remembers.

Bushra’s strength did not go unnoticed. At Ambalathara's Winnerland Gym, owner Syed and coach Sudheer, along with his family, all fellow arm wrestlers, recognized her innate power and stepped forward, convincing her mother and family to let her train competitively.

In 2021 she was qualified at the district level, though family restrictions prevented her from attending the state championship. In 2022, she qualified at the district level again and despite opposition, her immediate family supported her and she secured 3rd place at the state level. In the subsequent years, she secured 2nd at the state level, qualified for Nationals, and eventually made it to Asian Championship.

Though financial constraints previously forced her to miss two World Championship events, her breakthrough came at the Asian Championship, where she secured 3rd place.

"Winning bronze at the Asian Games felt like gold to me," Bushra says. "Holding the Indian flag on that platform was the proudest moment of my life. Now, my wish is to hear our national anthem while receiving the gold medal, and that is what I am training for,” she added.

To compete in the 70kg category, Bushra’s daily discipline is absolute. Two to three months prior to competitions, she shifts to a strict high protein diet, completely cutting off sweets. She even cuts her hair short to eliminate any distraction that might hinder her focus and confidence.

Despite balancing a grueling 7-hour daily work shift as a gym trainer alongside 3 hours of intense workout sessions, her ultimate dream remains tied to a uniform. Inspired by Kerala Police officer Annie Siva, Bushra continues her preparation for the PSC exams under the sports quota, aspiring to become a cop.

"Growing up, I was always fond of service uniforms,” she says. "Police is my dream job."

While riding her two-wheeler or training at the gym, Bushra still encounters judgment from people around her. But she has developed an optimistic mindset along the travail. Her motivation remains simple: her mother, who always tells her to "come back with gold medals,” and her son, who asks her to "come back with medals and buy me chocolates as well."

"My advice to anyone facing obstacles is to stay humble and recognize your own talent," Bushra says. "Obstacles will keep crossing your path, but nothing should be bigger than your aims. If you fall, get up and run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl, but keep moving forward."

With the World Championship coming to Delhi this November, Bushra is confident that financial restraints won't stop her this time. She is ready to take on everything that comes her way.