AIA Insurance’s ‘Rethink Healthy’ Podcast Highlights Powerlifting Entrepreneur Adhisha Dahanayake’s Journey to Self-Worth and Wellbeing
As part of its groundbreaking ‘Rethink Healthy’ campaign, AIA Insurance continues to shift conventional health narratives through a four-part podcast series created in partnership with the PodHUB. Each episode features inspiring Sri Lankans who are challenging outdated wellness ideals and demonstrating that health is about much more than diet and exercise.
Adhisha Dahanayake, a fashion entrepreneur and national powerlifter, is featured in Episode 3. She has redefined what strength and health mean to her and many other women. Listeners are inspired to adopt a more holistic perspective of well-being—one that encompasses mental, emotional, and self-worth-driven health—by her honest and unfiltered story.
Double XL, a plus-size fashion brand she launched in 2010 in response to her personal difficulties obtaining clothing in her size, lies at the heart of her journey. A social movement that promoted the idea that “inclusivity is not optional, it’s essential” grew out of what started as a personal struggle. In a society where plus-size bodies are frequently linked to unhealthy lifestyles, Adhisha’s goal was to dispel the taboo around body size and encourage body confidence. In addition to promoting the mental and emotional well-being of those who had long been excluded from mainstream fashion, her brand became a beacon for them.
The episode also explores the negative effects of living in a fast-paced society on mental health. Adhisha openly discusses how self-doubt and emotional suffering resulted from a traumatic experience of body shaming at a jeans store. Nevertheless, she found her path forward—not through social acceptance, but through powerlifting, a sport she began at age 35 during a trying time after the passing of her father. She discovered her inner strength and mental clarity by exercising five days a week and maintaining discipline.
It was amazing how she transformed herself. She not only qualified for the 2020 Commonwealth Games in the women’s under 84kg category and achieved national records (lifting 380 kg overall), but she also developed a greater respect for balance, perseverance, and self-worth. As she says, “For me, health is about living life as you want and enjoying it.”
People are encouraged to reevaluate what it means to be healthy in today’s world by AIA’s “Rethink Healthy” campaign. For Adhisha, that means embracing who she is, whether that’s going to the gym without worrying about criticism, going to therapy, painting, or just spending the weekend relaxing with her family. Her experience serves as a testament to the fact that health is inclusive, fluid, and personal.
Everyone should feel inspired on their journey to better health, regardless of where they start, and the campaign serves as a timely reminder that true change begins from within as it continues to resonate with audiences.
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