He Sold Candies As A Kid In Mumbai Locals And Today He Trains Salman And Aamir Khan!

Life is tough.

But you have to make the most of it by constantly never giving up.

This is the story of Rakesh Udiyar. When he was 12 years old he sold candies on the local trains in Mumbai and today, he is the fitness trainer of none other than Aamir and Salman Khan.

However, life has not been a bed of roses for Rakesh. In an interview to Pink Villa, the formidable trainer speaks about his struggle which is both inspiring and incredible.

Initially, it wasn’t a life marred with hardships, he came from a balanced background but after his father was bed ridden due to paralysis, his life took a drastic turn and little Rakesh and his brother had no option but to cope with that.

 “There were days when we ate only rice and had black tea and then there were days when we didn’t even get that.”

To make ends meet, Rakesh started selling candies in Mumbai local trains.

“I started selling those pepsi candies and those days we used to get that Re. 1 wala pepsi. Wo candy ki tarah aata tha and dhai rupaye ka 100 milta tha and agar wo dhai ka poora bik gaya din mein then you’ll get Rs. 5 in a day.”

Rakesh wanted to study but life had other plans in store for him. When was 16, he found a job of a sweeper in a gym and that’s where inspiration struck.

“I was a sweeper back then, but after some time, I got promoted to a spotter (floor trainer). I used to stand there and just see or help the clients with the machines, so one day my friend came to me and said you deserve a place much better than this.”

Life turned around it and Rakesh was asked to train Arbaaz Khan. Impressed with his dedication and his work ethics, Arbaaz Khan recommended Rakesh to Salman Khan. His first film with Salman was Bodyguard and he also worked with the star on his latest blockbuster, Sultan.

“I have never seen someone so dedicated to his exercise routine.  Even if he is landing from say London or the US at 2 am, he will go and work out and I never say no. I know this guy, if he’ll not train, he’ll not sleep.”

Through Salman, Rakesh Udiyar met Aamir Khan and now he trains Mr. Perfectionist too. He has even worked with Aamir for Dangal and Rakesh is proud of his handiwork.

“I met Aamir at a gym in a high-end hotel where I used to train someone. He was training there for Dhoom 3. He used to see me and was quite impressed. I got a call from Aamir’s manager and he said that sir would like to speak to you. I went to his house and he said ‘I have a portion to complete for Dhoom 3 and one of PK. And for the same I need to train.’

But the journey hasn’t been easy and I have had my share of ups and downs. There have been times when I have been scared of failure and I have dreaded going back to the point from where I started. And at the end, I would just say that, in order to be successful, you have to be scared of something!

Life favors those who never give up and Rakesh is a true example of that.

News Source: Pinkvilla

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