Fr Joseph Sunny Mandakath was laughing all the way through the interview. The overnight fame came out of the blue for the vicar of Our Lady of Grace Church, Thuruthiparambu, under Irinjalakuda diocese of the Syro Malabar Church. A face familiar only to the people in his parish is now popular everywhere he goes. The only difference is that from reverence, the gaze has turned into awe. Sporting six-pack abs, the 37-year-old priest took part in the Mr. Thrissur contest last week and featured among the 10 finalists in the Model Physique category. He did not win the contest, but it made him famous. “So famous that people now come to me seeking not personal advice or counseling, but tips to reduce their pot bellies,” laughs Fr Joseph, who has been serving the Church for a decade now.
Ask when his tryst with bodybuilding began, the priest laughs again. “It all began as varicose vein. My doctor advised regular workouts to fight the condition following which I started playing badminton. But after a wrist injury, I couldn’t play and then I hit the gym for basic workouts,” he recalls. As the results began showing, Fr Joseph became a regular at the gym and worked out for at least an hour a day. Santhosh, a trainer at the gym, was amazed to see the priest religiously following the workout regime without fail. “It was Santhosh who suggested that I take part in the contest and become an inspiration to people,” says the priest, who hails from Mala in Thrissur. Game for anything that would motivate people to lead a healthy lifestyle, Fr Joseph signed up for a six-month training course under Santhosh.
He cut on carbohydrates and fat intake and increased protein content in his diet. For six months, it was a strict no to sugar, oil and junk food and his weight reduced from 74 kg to 60 kg. “If I lost 14 kgs in six months, anyone can do it,” he reasons. For him, maintaining a good physique is also an ideal way to serve people and the God. “Our body is a gift from the Lord. By maintaining its beauty and health, we are offering Him another gift. Workouts should be cultivated as a habit and not as a sudden realisation when you fall ill. A healthy lifestyle is a boon for not just you but also for the people around you,” he says.
His other aim was to bust the myths about bodybuilding. “It is not about steroid injections or protein powder, as the general belief goes. Every person has invisible fat content in their body. Adjusting the diet by including protein-rich food and omitting high fat food help decrease body fat percentage and gain a healthy body. If I can inspire youngsters to keep aside their cell phones and focus on their body, I would be a happy man.” However, Fr Joseph doesn’t think that he had made a great achievement. “That I happened to get a platform doesn’t mean that I am the only priest who works out. Even our Bishop is a person who has been working out for years now, inspiring everyone,” he says. So, will he be participating in bodybuilding contests in future? “If it motivates people, yes, I will,” he concludes.
