Meet an undergraduate bodybuilder preparing for medical school

Ayra Ajay was always impressed by bodybuilders, but she was convinced she didn’t have enough muscle or the proper nutrition to pursue it herself. However, in the fall of 2024, something shifted in Ajay, and she launched a year-long campaign to enter her first bodybuilding competition. 

Now an amateur bodybuilder, fourth-year pre-med student Ajay has found overlap between her training and coursework at Case Western Reserve University. Ajay is studying biology and medical anthropology, which has taught her the science behind her training and how food and exercise affect cells and build muscle. One class in particular, “Introduction to Biochemistry: From Molecules To Medical Science,” taught Ajay the chemical processes behind bodybuilding strategies, such as carb loading and calorie deficits. Ajay actively applied what she was learning to her own body while training, describing the overlap as “the combination of [her] two favorite things.” 

In November, her work paid off when she placed in her competition. “It showed me that I can actually do anything. If I could do this, I could balance anything,” she said. 

As a student and an athlete, Ajay’s studies and exercise complemented each other, motivating her to push herself. The academic discipline Ajay developed throughout her rigorous coursework helped her simultaneously study for the MCAT and train for her competition, while challenging herself in the gym motivated her to do the same in her classes. 

Ajay always knew she wanted to work in medicine or healthcare in some capacity, and Case Western Reserve University’s balance of strong, STEM-focused academics and supportive, community-based culture was the perfect fit. The university’s emphasis on real-world opportunities has helped her further reinforce her professional goals. As a patient care nurse assistant at Cleveland Clinic and a volunteer at the Greater Cleveland LGBT Center, she connected with professionals in the healthcare sector across Cleveland. 

Ajay has honed leadership skills as a member of the pre-health fraternity, Delta Epsilon Mu, which she joined as a second-year student. Last year, she served as its philanthropy chair, and this year, she is the director of recruitment, handling advertising, recruiting, interviewing and initiating new members. Ajay was also a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and served as the director of merchandise, which broadened her connections and experiences outside of her pre-med track. 

Adding training to her busy schedule required discipline, but Ajay enjoyed the process, explaining that it taught her how to prioritize what’s important. 

Learn more about Ajay’s experiences.

Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

1. Can you describe the experience and feeling of your first competition?

When you wake up and do something for that long, it doesn't feel like the day will actually come.

It was really surreal to step on stage. It was very much a personal journey where it was like, “It doesn't even matter what the outcome is, if I do good, if I do bad, it doesn't matter, because I changed so much in a good way because of this experience.” My experience was so positive, and I was so happy with how I placed that I was like I must do this again. This is a very positive thing in my life.

2. What's been your most rewarding experience?

Bodybuilding is so physical, and we have emotional attachments to our bodies, how [we] look, and also what [we] feel. It was really cool to remove that aspect; it became very scientific, like how can I use food as fuel to prioritize my workouts? 

When you're going through such a long journey, it's really hard to see progress daily, because you see yourself in the mirror every day, and you don't see what's changing. You don't see that progress, and there's all this doubt in your head, and one day, if you keep doing the work, results will show up. It's just a matter of time. 

3. What have you learned about the sport and yourself throughout your journey? Were there any misconceptions you had about bodybuilding before you started? 

The biggest thing I've learned about the sport, and myself, is that bodybuilding is really not about how well you perform on stage. It's very much a self-journey. Bodybuilding is the only sport that does not measure your athletic performance. It measures purely how you look, and so obviously, you have to have athletic performance to do well in the gym, but it’s not about your output. It's about what you show up as. 

And what you show up as is a combination of all the hard work you've put in over the years of your life. And so if I don't place after two years of hard work, that doesn't mean anything about my value as a competitor. Because as long as I showed up to this competition better than my last competition, that's all that matters.

5. What are your career and bodybuilding goals? How do they align/intersect? 

[My] career goal is definitely to be a physician. I love orthopedics and sports medicine, and I think that comes from my interest in the gym. I really want to integrate my knowledge of a healthy lifestyle, a well-rounded life, into both my medical studies and my career beyond. Balance is such an important part of being a whole human and a good physician. You cannot provide good care to your patient unless you are OK mentally and physically, so that is very important to me. 

In terms of my bodybuilding goals, I absolutely want to compete again. I was unsure going into my first competition, but that day was among the top five days of my life, easy. That feeling of all this hard work culminating into one experience was just such a surreal moment, and I can't wait to feel that again. I want to see if I can be better. It would be super cool to compete on a national level, but we'll see if that's in the cards for me. Just because it is hard to balance with school. Everything's been on the back burner in my life, and I knew that I had to prioritize academics. 

I am planning to compete again in the spring, and then, if that goes well, compete throughout the summer season. So we'll just see how that goes, but long term, I would love for this to be a part of my life. I would love for it to be balanced with school, I just know it's a hard balance. And so I'm open. We’ll see where it takes me. 

6. What advice would you give to other women interested in bodybuilding? 

Just do it. Because I've thought about it for years. I've always loved the gym, but the gym was just a hobby I had. There was no real result to see. I was just kind of doing it for fun. I always just wanted to put my mind to a very specific goal, and that to me looked like bodybuilding.

I'm not kidding when I say I've seen people on stage since I was a senior in high school, and I’d always be like: “That's so cool. That would never be me, though.” Then last year, I had this thought: “Wait, why can't it be you? If they can do it, you can do it.” 
People still ask me all the time: “How did you even decide to do that?” I'm like, “I don't know. I just did.” And that applies not just to people who want to be in bodybuilding, but to anything in life. If you have a thought, just do it. We have one life. We're young. You can just do it.