‘Don’t want pregnancy to be seen as a setback’: 7-months pregnant Delhi cop lifts 145 kg at national championship to win bronze
During an internet search earlier, she had found out that no woman had done this before. This motivated her further
Sonika at the All India Police Weightlifting Cluster 2025-26 When Delhi Police constable Sonika Yadav (31) stepped onto the platform at the All India Police Weightlifting Cluster 2025–26 in Andhra Pradesh on October 17, the crowd expected a routine powerlifting performance.
Many assumed she had moved up from her usual 65-kg category to 84 kg after putting on some weight. But as she gripped the barbell for a 145-kg deadlift, jaws dropped as the realisation dawned upon the spectators — she wasn’t just heavier, she was seven months pregnant.
“Come on, Soni!” — the cheers rent the air. The constable, who took up powerlifting in 2023, proved that strength just isn’t physical.
Back in May, she was lacing up her shoes for a gym session when she found out that she was pregnant. Her husband thought the pregnancy would mean a break from training, but Sonika had other plans.
“I don’t want pregnancy to be taken as a setback or something that stops women from doing something. It is normal and I wanted to set an example. Throughout my pregnancy I lifted weights and geared up for the championship. I did not want to give up just because I was pregnant,” Sonika told The Indian Express. She ended up winning the bronze medal in the championship and continues to hit the gym and lift weights even now.
In all, in her powerlifting category, she first did squats with 125 kg, bench pressed 80 kg and then came the deadlift. She was initially supposed to lift 135 kg but she was aware that she might not win the medal so she lifted 145 kg instead.
During an internet search earlier, she had found out that no woman had done this before. This motivated her further. “I researched and saw that in the world of powerlifting, a woman named Lucie Martins had done this during her pregnancy in a competition. I immediately reached out to her on instagram to take some tips. She told me we must squeeze our belly in and then do the lift as we normally do. I practiced that and even implemented it,” she said.
Watch | Pregnant Delhi cop who lifted 145 kg at national championship@sakshichand08 writes:
Read: https://t.co/rNjx5AG3it pic.twitter.com/cruipBlaZm— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) October 27, 2025
Initially, when she had gone for the championship she wore loose clothes. Many thought it was due to her changing her weight category. When she did the bench press, her husband came to help her get up. The spectators did not realise why.
“Since I was pregnant I couldn’t get up straight on my own… so my husband helped. Even then some people did not realise. During lifts, one needs to wear a belt but I could not owing to my belly size. Once everyone was fully aware, it felt great. Women walked up to me, participants from other police forces came up to me and congratulated me. They all clicked pictures,” Sonika said.
Sonika is a 2014 batch officer and currently posted at the community policing cell. Before this, she was also a beat officer in Majnu ka Tila area and helped curb the drug menace. Her contribution was acknowledged by the then Delhi Police chief in 2022. She was also felicitated by then Union Minister Smriti Irani on Women’s Day.
Sonika had her first child in 2017. Her husband, Ankur Bana, works at a private firm. Throughout her training period, she regularly met her gynaecologist and even after the championship consulted her to ensure she was not having any blindspots.
She was always drawn to fitness and sports. She initially started playing kabaddi and was a part of the Delhi Police team as well. She said she started going to the gym just to lose weight and soon realised her fondness for weights — the weights many lifted in championships, she was already doing it at the gym.
In August 2023, she bagged her first gold medal at the Delhi State Powerlifting Championship. There has been no looking back since then.
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