The Sales & Technology Leader at Amazon Web Services shares how Ultimate Performance completely transformed her life.
“I remember the day my right hand nearly slipped away from me. A vascular condition had restricted blood flow so severely that doctors warned I could lose it. I underwent successful surgery to save it, but the fear stayed with me. After that, I avoided lifting heavy weights for years. I didn’t believe my body, let alone my mind, was strong enough.
For most of my adult life, I was the ‘chubby cheeks’ girl. Charming, capable and successful, but just not confident enough to wear a tank top. I ran half marathons, completed Spartan races and worked out regularly. But beneath all that cardio was a quiet dissatisfaction I could never quite shake.
In September 2022, I made a choice that changed everything. I signed up with Ultimate Performance in Singapore. My goal was simple: reduce body fat before my brother’s wedding. I had spent almost a year procrastinating.
I was sceptical. Could I really change at this stage of life? At that time, I weighed 63 kg with 29.8% body fat. Today, I weigh 55 kg with 16% body fat. But numbers alone don’t tell this story. The real shift started when I finally embraced strength training – the very thing I had avoided because of fear.
My trainer introduced me to structured nutrition and a progressive strength program. At first, it felt foreign. I was deeply nervous about lifting weights after my surgery. What if I hurt myself again? What if my body failed? But step by step, rep by rep, those doubts dissolved.
Today, I can do eight to 10 strict pull-ups. I deadlift over 70 kg. I push 120 kg on track. These milestones once felt impossible. And yet, here I am, living proof and testament that fear does not define ability.
The biggest transformation, however, didn’t happen in the gym. It happened in the kitchen, where I stopped bingeing on late-night ‘healthy’ desserts that were secretly sugar bombs. I cut sugar by almost 90%, ate protein-first meals, and drank three litres of water every day.
More than that, I built habits. Consistency became part of my identity. Balancing this with a demanding role at Amazon Web Services wasn’t easy. Travel, deadlines and family commitments all competed for my attention.
There were days when motivation vanished, and progress slowed. But I learned something important: motivation is overrated. Consistency is not. You can’t wake up inspired every day. So, you build a routine. You stick to it. You show up whether you feel like it or not.
My first pull-up was one of the most emotional moments of this journey. I set a target of just one – because even that felt ambitious – and when I finally achieved it, I cried. Then I chased two. Then five. Eventually, I hit 10. Each one felt like reclaiming something I thought I had lost forever.
Completing my first Hyrox race in the open singles category was another huge moment. But more than medals or aesthetics, what I truly gained was self-belief. I became someone who lifts.
Growing up in a South Asian household, I absorbed subtle narratives about feminine bodies, like muscular women weren’t ‘typical’ or expected, for example. That fitness was indulgent. That women like me didn’t build muscle easily.
I proved all of that wrong. First to myself, and then to everyone else. At home, the ripple effect has been incredible. My husband and son supported my diet changes and adjusted family meals. My 14-year-old chose weight training at school. That feels like legacy – more meaningful than any compliment about how I look.
Friends joke that I’m reverse ageing. Colleagues call me a fitness ambassador. Strangers guess I’m five years younger. But what matters most is how I feel. I feel strong. I feel capable. I feel at peace with my body, but not because it looks a certain way, but because it responds when I challenge it.
Transformation is not about extremes. It’s about small, repeatable actions. Trusting the process – especially on the days when you don’t see results. When the scale stalls. When the workouts feel hard. When life gets messy.
If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this: Start small. Be consistent. Don’t punish yourself for setbacks. Don’t compare your Chapter One to someone else’s Chapter Ten. And if you can, find a coach who teaches you how to think, not just how to train.
I began this journey wanting to look good for a wedding. Today, I continue it because I discovered who I am when I stop limiting myself. And that woman? She can do pull-ups with a smile!” – Yasha Dabas
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