• Bodybuilder Tharakaa Perera on navigating a male-dominated industry 

Bodybuilding is often seen as a masculine sport where men build their physique through rigorous training and dieting. Society often encourages men, especially male bodybuilders, to be muscular and embody physical strength and endurance. 

The arena of female bodybuilding seems to dull in comparison.

However, Tharakaa Perera seems to subvert expectations by taking on this traditionally masculine display and excelling at it, bringing pride to Sri Lanka at the global stage.

“Despite it all, I seem to get asked all sorts of questions because I am a girl,” Perera told The Daily Morning Brunch. 

Bodybuilding and femininity

When most people think of bodybuilding, they think of it as a very masculine act due to societal conditioning. It is something that Perera is not immune to.

“Whenever I tell people that I am a bodybuilder or whenever people see my pictures in competitions, they question me as to why I want to look like a man and why I want to wear so little in competitions,” Perera said. 

She also said that people tend to take female bodybuilders less seriously than they take male bodybuilders, often dismissing them as taking up a hobby that will stop when they get married. This ties into women in Sri Lanka and across the globe often being burdened with the majority of unpaid care work. 

Many female bodybuilders around the world also face societal criticism and stigma, especially since femininity is associated with either a slender physique or delicate curves and not muscular bodies. Several bodybuilders, including Perera, often face body shaming as they challenge traditional norms of beauty and what it means to be a woman. 

“Another difficult thing about being a female bodybuilder is finding sponsorships,” she said, adding: “Most corporations and individuals are more than willing to sponsor male bodybuilders, but when it comes to the female arena, many of them wash their hands off. I assume this is a common problem with women’s sports.”

Women’s sports in general have suffered from lack of sponsorships as well as unequal pay due to societal norms and social conditioning on the role of women as soft and delicate rather than sporty and competitive. 

Yet, despite the negativity, Perera remains hopeful that she is able to stand strong and represent Sri Lanka as she has done before.

Bringing pride to the nation  

Perera has never shied away from who she is: A proud 26-year-old fitness instructor from Kaluthara, who developed an interest in bodybuilding as a coping mechanism. 

“I took up bodybuilding in 2018 to deal with the grief of losing my father to the civil conflict,” she said, adding: “I never gave up, and a year later I won the gold medal at the divisional competition.”

She said that her main inspiration is bringing pride to her country and making sure that our tiny island has a place on the world’s stage.

“When you think about it, Sri Lanka is so small when compared to all the giants of the world,” she said. “So, it’s really important that our country has the place and recognition it deserves because there are so many talented people across the island.”

Since she started bodybuilding seven years ago, Perera has not looked back and has continued to garner many medals, including the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professional (IFFB PRO) League Worldwide Women’s Physique second place and Colombo Fitness Festival (CFF) Women’s Physique third place. 

“Sri Lanka’s bodybuilding industry and environment is progressing step by step and I am happy to see that there are more competitions being held that encourage both male and female bodybuilders to participate,” she said. 

She advises all aspiring young female bodybuilders to never give up, even in spite of rejection and criticism, and to embrace every challenge while setting a goal for themselves. 

“Don’t look for shortcuts in a game of hard work, grit, and perseverance,” she said. “And most importantly, carry the Sri Lankan flag with pride to the world.”

The future of female bodybuilding 

Despite struggle and stigma, Perera’s eyes are set on the future. She is the first Sri Lankan to be selected for the upcoming Olympia Amateur bodybuilding competition.

“I am so humbled and yet so proud at this great opportunity to represent my country on the global stage,” she said, adding: “I hope I will do my country and the people who believe in me proud.”

Perera also stated that she is open to participate in other competitions that would enable her to pursue her career as a bodybuilder and that would enable her to inspire other young women to challenge gender stereotypes and achieve their dreams. She also hopes to continue her career both as a fitness instructor as well as a bodybuilder due to her passion of helping others achieve their goals, whether it be fitness or personal.