The clank of weights in a Telangana gym usually signals ambition, but for 73-year-old D V Shankar Rao, it’s a symphony of defiance. With a calm face and laser focus, he stands under a heavy barbell, younger athletes watching in awe. His coach, G V Rami Reddy, is a hawk.
“One more,” the coach urges. Shankar Rao breathes, then lifts. This isn't just impressive; it's practically a medical miracle. A little over a decade ago, he underwent heart bypass surgery. Most people would use that as a cue to slow down. Shankar Rao, it turns out, is not most people.
Today, he’s a National Masters Classic Powerlifting Champion, clutching gold medals for squat, bench press, deadlift, and the overall title. His story is a masterclass in how retirement can launch unexpected adventures, even after your ticker has had a major tune-up.
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Shankar Rao spent his career at the State Bank of India, happily rooted in Bhadrachalam. Promotions often meant transfers, which he politely declined. He was content serving his community right where he was, which, if you think about it, is a surprisingly zen approach to corporate climbing.
Then came 2012. At 60, he faced coronary artery bypass surgery. A shock, given his active lifestyle. But years of smoking and less-than-stellar eating habits had caught up. What followed, thankfully, wasn't a decline, but a full-blown reboot.
“I never felt unhappy after the surgery,” he recounted. “In fact, I felt regenerated. I felt like I had been given a new life.”
Retirement in 2013 provided the perfect canvas for this new beginning. He walked, did yoga. For years, that was enough. Then, a persistent friend, Swapan Nayak, started nudging him toward the gym.
“I refused every time,” Shankar Rao laughed. “I would tell him, ‘I have had bypass surgery. Why should I go to a gym?’”
But Nayak was relentless. Finally, in February 2025, Shankar Rao stepped into a local gym. The trajectory of his life promptly pivoted.
The Heart Is Also a Muscle
At the gym, he met coach G V Rami Reddy, a veteran of over 20 years. Given Shankar Rao’s medical history, Reddy proceeded with caution, consulting doctors and monitoring every step. Turns out, the doctors had a surprisingly simple piece of advice:
“They told me that the heart is also a muscle,” Shankar Rao recalled. “If the body’s muscles become stronger through proper exercise, the heart benefits too.”
Training started slow: stretches, mobility, light strength. But Shankar Rao adapted with astonishing speed. “My coach noticed that whatever exercise he gave me, I would complete it faster than expected,” he said. Reddy saw the dedication and kept pushing.
Family and friends were initially wary, understandably. Weight training after bypass surgery? Sounds like a headline for the wrong reasons. But Reddy visited Shankar Rao's home, explaining the careful process. As weeks turned into months, the worry faded, replaced by pride.
Shankar Rao, initially just aiming for better health, had no interest in competing. Reddy, however, saw a spark. He convinced Shankar Rao to just watch a local powerlifting competition. Naturally, Shankar Rao went, entered, and won. Because of course he did.
That first win ignited a fire. State-level, then national. He joined the gym in February 2025 and was a national champion by August. Let that satisfying six-month timeline sink in.
For the National Masters Classic Powerlifting Championship in Kozhikode, Kerala, training intensified, always under medical supervision. Morning sessions stretched to 90 minutes, evenings added another hour. The payoff? Four gold medals. “It feels like a miracle. A medical miracle,” he mused.
Eyes on the World Stage
For someone who spent three decades in banking, the sudden recognition has been a trip. Local media interviews, an inspired community, and a family now his biggest cheerleaders. “They are happier than I am,” he said with a smile.
Shankar Rao’s message is clear: “Age is not a criterion.” If he can turn bypass surgery and retirement into national gold, carefully supervised physical activity is possible for anyone, at any age.
Now, with national golds gleaming, Shankar Rao has his sights set on international competition in Reno, Nevada. He dreams of becoming one of the first bypass survivors in the world to medal on that stage. The catch? The cost. As a retired banker, the expenses for travel, registration, and equipment for the July 2026 National Championship in Aurangabad and the October 2026 International Meet are steep, around Rs 5 lakh.
It’s a big ask, but then again, so was lifting national titles after open-heart surgery. He’s already proven that age and health hurdles don't end ambitions. Now, he just needs the chance to lift for India.
