Trishna Bharadia has always loved sport – but when she started experiencing scary symptoms in her 20s she was terrified she might lose the ability to be active.
‘I first knew something was wrong in 2007 when I lost the feeling down the side of my body,’ Trishna tells Metro.co.uk.
‘However, it wasn’t until May 2008, when I was 28, that I was diagnosed with the relapsing form of multiple sclerosis (MS).’
MS damages the nerves in your body and makes it harder to do everyday things, like walking, talking, eating and even thinking. It was a shock to recieve the diagnosis, especially for Trishna, who had loved fitness her entire life.
‘I was an active kid, and at school I played every sport I could turn my hand to,’ she explains.
‘I liked everything – squash, volleyball, netball – but from the age of 12 it was hockey that became my main sport and I ended up playing at county, school, university and club level.
‘We’re a hockey family and I grew up watching my dad play – he’s 70 and still plays for Wales.
‘As soon as I could walk my dad would take a saw and chopped down one of his wooden hockey sticks so my sisters and I had our own sticks to play with. From then on, it was always part of my life.’
At the time of her MS diagnosis, Trishna was experiencing sensory symptoms like burning, pins and needles and fatigue.
‘Three years prior to that I was told I had repetitive strain injury as my grip strength went for a few months and it meant I couldn’t cut my food up. When I got my MS diagnosis they pinpointed that as my first relapse.’
But losing the feeling down one side of her body wasn’t going to stop her playing the sport she loved; Trishna was determined.
‘I took the attitude of, “if I get hurt, it won’t hurt”. But mentally I kept worrying about how this illness would impact my future?’
‘I was so scared my diagnosis would mean that I would lose a huge part of my life.
‘MS is unpredictable and different for everyone, but I couldn’t help thinking – “will I end up in a wheelchair?”
‘The condition meant I would potentially not be able to run – and I needed to do that for hockey. Thankfully, when I asked my neurologist if I could still play, he said sport and exercise would be good for me.’
The best thing about team sport is the camaraderie, and Trishna’s teammates rallied around her when she gave them the news.
‘I printed off a document explaining about the condition and what medication I was on, and included emergency contacts – my team started carrying it in the team bag to every single game.
‘I carried on playing hockey, but my on-field position gradually changed. I had to reduce the amount I was doing.’
Before her diagnosis, Trishna was training twice a week – travelling into London after a full day of work – and playing two matches at the weekend, as well as walking and running. Something had to give.
‘Eventually it came down to playing only one match, as that was wiping me out,’ says Trishna.
‘And, mentally, it was hard for me as I felt like I was letting my team down as I couldn’t perform at the level I’d always played at.
‘I knew I had to adapt and find other things to do to keep my fitness levels up that were more suitable.’
That’s when Trishna discovered Zumba.
‘I was going through a difficult time in my personal life and I wanted to do something new and find a space where no one knew me,’ she explains.
‘I wanted to do something closer to home and be able to change the intensity of what I was doing. I’ve always loved dancing, but never had the confidence.
‘My twin sister, Manisha, had tried out some Zumba classes and said she thought I’d enjoy them. I tried a few different classes, alongside my now 71-year-old mum, and then I found one that really suited me – one with lots of Latin music.
‘The Brazilian instructor immediately instilled confidence in me and within a couple of months she even had me up on stage!’
What is MS?
- MS affects more than 100,000 people in the UK.
- MS damages nerves in your body and makes it harder to do everyday things, like walk, talk, eat and think.
- Women are three times as likely to get MS than men.
- No one knows for sure why people get MS. It’s likely to be due to a mix of genes, your environment and lifestyle factors.
- The MS Society Stop MS Appeal needs to raise £100 million to find treatments for everyone with MS.
At Zumba, Trishna found that she could do things at her own pace. The steps are more repetitive and it incorporates lots of different dance moves, which makes it really accessible.
‘With MS you need to find something you can do if your health deteriorates – something that you love regardless of what your physical ability is.
‘Dance is what you make it – it’s one of the few forms of fully-inclusive exercise. I’d be devastated if I couldn’t do it.’
Every year, Trishna joins her sister on stage at the MS Society’s MS Walk to give the participants a Zumba workout.
‘It’s really important for people with MS to see how inclusive exercise can be,’ she says. ‘I often hear people say they can’t exercise, so seeing a person with MS up on stage can help spark that little bit of confidence again.’
Currently, Trishna’s condition manifests as fatigue and bladder issues.
‘And mentally, with every decision I have to make, MS factors in,’ she says.
‘I have to rely on my family for support and charities like the MS Society. That’s hard as I’ve always been someone who has been independent.
‘But MS doesn’t stop me living.’
In 2015, Trishna was part of the People’s Strictly for Comic Relief. She was partnered with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec, and she says the whole experience was completely unbelievable.
‘I explained to everyone what MS was, and the adjustments I might need to make, but I wanted it to be a challenge as it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
‘Head choreographer, Jason Gilkison, came to a number of our training sessions and both him and Aljaž instilled confidence in me (even on days when I was exhausted).
‘It was brilliant being taught how to dance properly, and I was itching to show people my Jive. When the music started I was in my element.’
Trishna is determined to go on being active as long as her body allows it, because she says strength is defined by self belief.
‘Strong is someone who isn’t afraid to ask for help and support in order to get to where she wants to be. For someone that lives with a long term health condition, that’s really important.’
Strong Women
Strong Women is a weekly series that champions diversity in the world of sport and fitness.
A Sport England study found that 40% of women were avoiding physical activity due to a fear of judgement.
But, contrary to the limited images we so often see, women of any age, size, race or ability can be active and enjoy sport and fitness.
We hope that by normalising diverse depictions of women who are fit, strong and love their bodies, we will empower all women to shed their self-consciousness when it comes to getting active.
Each week we talk to women who are redefining what it means to be strong and achieving incredible things.
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