In Conversation with Disha Shrivastava

“Find your calling. We all have special talents that are waiting to be engaged in a worthy pursuit.”  Robin Sharma.

Wiping the sweat off her brows after a tiring morning, she tells us about  her experience of cycling to have a look at the migratory flamingos. 

Disha Shrivastava is a Mumbai-based working mom, entrepreneur, enthusiastic athlete, blog writer, passionate runner, explorer on her bicycle, and dance lover. She also works in the development sector. 

“Gender, Diversity, Inclusion, and children are the causes close to my heart,” she says.

The Incredible Journey from a MOM to an athlete 

Disha started her professional life with banking at Citibank and left when she became a mother at 26 and again at 30. Having a career after kids was never in her conditioning as she had seen her highly educated mother enjoy being a dedicated housewife.

It was a jolt to Disha when she suffered from severe postpartum depression after her pregnancies.

“After a  major bout of depression, I  realized that this is not the life I want to lead, and decided to work after a career gap of 8 years,” she adds.

She started volunteering in an NGO near her home.

It was a difficult decision with a traveling husband and two small kids, but Shrivastava managed her household with the help of  domestic help.

After the initial hiccups, there was no stopping her. She worked in various social organizations. Today, she is a much sought-after person in the development world. Currently, between jobs, she has received umpteen offers. 

“As a back-to-work mother, it took a lot of effort, skill-building, energy, continuous learning, and networking to be in this space where I wanted to be,” she adds proudly.

Around the same time, she started running in the morning. Always an energetic person, she began training hard, and deviated herself to sports, and gradually to endurance sports.

She fell in love with cycling when she went to Bhutan for a mountain bike trail in 2015, and since then, there has been no looking back.

She has run in marathons and done bicycle tours and triathlons in India, Europe, and Australia.

Atrangee is an extension of her passion for travel and cycling. She organizes bicycle tours across the globe for adults. 

A dedicated fitness enthusiast

When Disha went to Bhutan, she was overweight. An unfortunate remark about her appearance made her determined to  scale higher in endurance and lose weight.

She believes that endurance is about mindset, and after a while, the body adjusts to the fitness regime. ” I have a weak gene pool, and I take one step at a time. I have been training extremely hard and sincerely since 2017, never missing my workouts,” she adds.

She received a lot of publicity for her Gateway of India to India Gate bicycle tour, covering a distance of 1400 km. Disha planned the itinerary and made the arrangements.

The group used to travel approximately 150 km per day.

“During the journey, I love the experience of meeting people, getting to know their lifestyle, and relishing their cuisine,” she adds.

The bumps in her way

Disha had always been a hands-on mom before she took her first job. Her world and time revolved around achieving perfection in her household chores and parenting. Her decision to work was disapproved by her parents and family and it weighed heavily on her conscience.

“It took a lot of effort to make up my mind and get things organized at home,” she adds.

Message to women

Disha is passionate about gender and Inclusion.Her venture, Atrangee works in bicycle education of women and girls to empower them and help them gain freedom and confidence. She believes that women can take charge of their lives through cycling, as it is a cheap and safe way to travel.

Disha advises women to be financially independent, stop looking for validation, and give importance to themselves. 

“Someone will always pull you down, but you can do it if you want. Live for what you love, and everything else will follow,” is her advice to women.

Disha, the person

Fun, energetic, and an optimist is how she describes herself. She loves hills and mountains. Her motivation is her determination. A quote that is the Mantra of her life is- “Once you have started your journey towards your goals, do not stop“.