HIV Positive bodybuilder Pradipkumar Singh talks about his inspirational journey

What's the story?

"I am HIV Positive, so what"?, claims Mr World bronze medal winner, Pradikumar Singh, a bodybuilder hailing from Manipur. The Manipuri bodybuilder announced his condition in his new book documenting his career, that was released at Delhi's Press Club of India.

This new book documents the career of the brave man and his continuous struggle against the hideous HIV virus. Having been a victim of the virus for over a decade now, the brave man's one ambition in life is to be a role model for all HIV sufferers.

In an interview to DNA India, he stated, "I wanted to prove that HIV is not the end of the world. I have proved it (HIV) wrong. I want to tell the world that HIV is not a disease and you can stay away from it by taking necessary precautions. I'm with this virus for more than 10 years, but I'm fully fit and without any illness.

In case you didn't know...

Currently, the brand ambassador of HIV/AIDS for the Manipur State AIDS Control Society, Pradipkumar Singh, was first detected as being HIV positive in the year 2000. He had contracted the virus from a shared syringe, a result of being a drug addict during his youth.

He decided to come out with the truth publicly right after he bagged the Mr Manipur title in 2007.

The heart of the matter

For a large number of its victims, HIV is seen to be the end of a healthy and normal life. The same, however, wasn't the case for Pradipkumar. Braving the blow, he claims that his actual life started after 2000 when he came to learn about his condition.

He defied the warnings of his doctors against bodybuilding and joined a gym. He went on to notably win the title of Mr. South Asia in 2012, followed by a bronze in the Mr. World contest the very same year.

In an emotional interview, he claimed that his story was similar to that of Magic Johnson, the legendary American basketball player who was also diagnosed with HIV. However, he went on to say that unlike Johnson who quit his career after this news, Kumar decided that he wanted to be successful despite this revelation.

What's next?

In the new book written by New Delhi-based journalist Jayanta Kalita, she also lays light upon the sporting culture in Manipur, growing steadily despite various issues. Therefore, her thorough account of the situation needs to be read to get a full insight.

Author's take

With every measure being taken on the part of Pradip Kumar to make people aware of the virus, here's hoping that his words of bravery act as an inspiration for all HIV patients.