The Fit Folk
Every person we feature, in one place — public creators we cover editorially and everyday people who share their stories with consent. Real people, real places.
All the folk — page 5
- Noida, India
Praveen Kumar
Praveen Kumar is a para high jumper from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, competing in the T64 classification, who won gold in the Men's High Jump T64 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics with a clearance of 2.08 metres that stood as an Asian record; that win formed part of India's sixth gold medal of the Paris Games, the country's highest gold tally at a single Paralympics edition. He had earlier taken silver in the same event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, and has also been credited with a gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games and a bronze at the 2025 New Delhi World Para Athletics Championships. Born with a short leg, he was 21 at the time of his Paris 2024 title.
- Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
Preethi Pal
Preethi Pal is an Indian para athlete from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, born 22 September 2000, who competes in the T35 classification for athletes with cerebral palsy; she won bronze medals in both the 100m T35 and 200m T35 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, becoming the first Indian woman track and field athlete to win two Paralympic medals, a breakthrough she has said followed a promise made to her father after finishing fourth at the 2022 Asian Para Games, and which she told ThePrint she hoped would help fund her sister's wedding using the state government's per-medal award money.
- Nottingham, United Kingdom
Richard Whitehead MBE
Richard Whitehead is a British Paralympic sprinter and marathon runner, born 19 July 1976 in Nottingham, who competes as a double through-knee congenital amputee in Para athletics for Great Britain. He won Paralympic gold in the 200m T42 at London 2012, a win that led to his MBE, and defended the title at Rio 2016, per his ParalympicsGB athlete profile. He is a sponsored Össur ambassador, described by the company as a Paralympian, sprinter, and marathon runner, and his career has also included marathon and half-marathon distance running. Disability Horizons profiled him in August 2021 as part of a series on Paralympians ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games. His Instagram account, @richard_whitehead_mbe, had approximately 103,000 followers.
- Dwarka, Delhi
Rohit Khatri
A sports science nutritionist born in Narela and based in Dwarka, Rohit Khatri runs one of India's largest fitness YouTube channels alongside his Instagram, known for practical content: full days of eating, budget protein guides and no-nonsense training advice.
- Delhi
Rubal Dhankar
Joined Delhi Police as a constable around 2008 and trained his way from the police beat into fitness coaching and reality TV (MTV Roadies), documenting the journey publicly.
- Mumbai, India
Rujuta Diwekar
Rujuta Diwekar is a Mumbai-based celebrity nutritionist whose clients are spread across 50 countries, including Bollywood stars and business tycoons, and the author of several books such as 'Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight', 'Don't Lose Out, Work Out!', and 'Pregnancy Notes', known for advocating a return to the way Indian grandmothers ate — natural, seasonal, and locally sourced food — over packaged products and fad diets; she has also received the Nutrition Award from the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology.
- India
Sapna Vyas
Lost 33kg in a year (85kg to 53kg, starting at age 19) through lifestyle changes covered by DNA India and YourStory, then built a career as a health and fitness coach.
- Delhi
Shaifali Halwai
Delhi fitness creator whose content centres on strength and confidence for women, and who has worked with Indian fitness brands including MuscleBlaze.
- Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Sheetal Devi
Sheetal Devi, born 10 January 2007 in Loidhar, Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, India, with phocomelia affecting the development of her arms, is a compound archer who shoots using her feet; she won bronze in the mixed team compound event at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, becoming only the second armless archer in history to medal at the Games after American Matt Stutzman, and is recognized as India's youngest Paralympic medalist, with additional gold medals reported from World Championships, Asian Championships, and Asian Para Games competition, and India's Arjuna Award.
