Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji’s exceptional 140kg deadlift was imagined to be a second of sporting celebration. As an alternative, the viral consideration surrounding her silver-medal-winning efficiency on the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Basic Powerlifting Championships has uncovered her to a deeply disturbing facet of on-line fame.The 21-year-old powerlifter has revealed that she has confronted sexual harassment, impersonation, conversations about her ethnicity, ancestry and caste, and what she described as 1000’s of AI-generated photos utilizing manipulated variations of her face and physique.Banerji opened up concerning the expertise via a collection of Instagram tales, explaining why she had created a brand new account after her earlier non-public profile was suspended. Her resolution, she made clear, was not an try to chase followers or flip herself right into a social media persona, however fairly to reclaim management over her personal identification and sporting story.
“I lately gained a deadlift silver medal at IPF Jr Worlds for India and whereas I respect the assist and recognition, as an Indian feminine athlete I’ve additionally needed to cope with sexual harassment on-line, accounts impersonating me and disturbing conversations surrounding my ethnicity, ancestry and caste?”However it was the dimensions and nature of the AI manipulation that appeared to hassle her most.“And the Worst 1000’s of Al generated photos of me with photos of my physique and face morphed and edited in very disturbing methods it is fairly unnerving to be waking up on a regular basis to my feed (and the feeds of each single particular person I do know) flooded with these faux Al photos,” Banerji wrote.
From a 140kg celebration to an undesirable on-line highlight
Banerji competed within the Junior Ladies’s 47kg class on the championships in Solar Metropolis, South Africa. Her 140kg deadlift earned her a silver medal within the particular person occasion, behind France’s Ines Herbaux, who lifted 165kg. Eire’s Blathnaid O’Dwyer additionally lifted 140kg.Banerji completed fifth general in her class after recording a 90kg squat and a 50kg bench press for a 280kg whole. Her deadlift was greater than thrice her competitors body weight of 45.70kg, serving to make the raise an immediately putting clip for social media audiences.The video of the raise unfold nicely past the standard powerlifting group, with customers celebrating the younger Indian athlete’s power and achievement.However the consideration shortly grew to become one thing Banerji had by no means sought.
“I’ve all the time been a personal particular person and for those who’ve recognized me in any capability/adopted my previous account you’d know I by no means posted photos on it both! It solely bought extra demanding when Instagram suspended my previous account (a personal account with 300 followers), therefore I’ve made this new one.”She mentioned she had initially needed to maintain the brand new account non-public too, however felt she had little selection if she needed to ascertain which on-line identification was really hers.“I did not need to make it public however I am left with no selection if I need to have a say in a story about my very own sport and accomplishment and rise up for myself with out getting my account suspended once more!”The choice successfully put Banerji within the uncommon place of turning into extra seen on-line exactly as a result of she needed to regain management over how she was being portrayed.
‘I simply need to exist as a lady who likes to deadlift’
For Banerji, the sudden fame additionally sits uneasily with what powerlifting means to her.“The aim of my sport in my life is simply to problem myself in a enjoyable means and I am grateful to be competing on the stage that I’m. I by no means needed to see myself in every single place like this, in-fact I actually despised all these Al posters popping up with out my consent. Initially, I simply needed to share this accomplishment with my shut family and friends.”She careworn that her new account was not created with ambitions of turning into an influencer or monetising the eye generated by her efficiency.“I’ve no objectives of making the most of this account/and no objectives of content material creation in any respect, I simply need to begin recent with this account and make it clear which one’s mine in order that Instagram would not take my voice away once more!”As an alternative, she desires people who find themselves genuinely inquisitive about her sporting journey to observe the account she controls and keep away from amplifying faux variations of her.“Thanks for studying it will be actually useful for those who may all observe this account for those who’re and redirect folks searching for my account to this web page as a result of I might a lot fairly share actual photos of myself and my expertise than have you ever guys take a look at these Al edits”The sudden transition from being a personal social media person to having a public profile has understandably made her uncomfortable.“It nonetheless makes me uneasy to have a public account swiftly as somebody who barely makes use of any social media, however I might fairly take shaky steps in direction of standing up for myself and having some form of say in a narrative about me than studying totally different variations of it on a regular basis.”Banerji additionally made it clear that she stays prepared to speak concerning the World Championships and her expertise in South Africa, however requested folks to method her content material with better sensitivity.“Should you’re curious to know extra about Worlds and my experience-I will be glad to share, let’s please do it in a means that is aware of my psychological well being!”
‘A lady who likes to deadlift’, not an internet picture
The powerlifter’s posts repeatedly returned to at least one central level: she desires her sporting identification to stay hers.“I actually need the alternative of extra publicity over this and I could not care much less about follower counts and so forth, I simply desire a area the place I can exist as a lady who likes to deadlift and never a picture that is been pulled aside again and again that feels so inauthentic to me”That distinction is on the coronary heart of Banerji’s expertise. The 140kg deadlift gave her a second she may rightly rejoice, however the viral response remodeled her sporting accomplishment right into a supply of undesirable scrutiny.She later acknowledged how a lot the eye had begun to have an effect on her means to take pleasure in what ought to have been one of many greatest achievements of her younger profession.“a whole lot of the eye has been overwhelming and in methods I’ve let it overpower the enjoyment and whimsy that comes with an enormous win!”Her 140kg raise was not an remoted breakthrough. Banerji’s numbers had been steadily enhancing, with a 127.5kg deadlift on the 2025 nationwide championship and 140kg on the 2026 nationwide championship earlier than matching that determine on the world stage.Her South African efficiency subsequently represented one other step in an rising powerlifting profession. But the viral nature of the raise introduced a distinct form of problem — one she had not skilled for and didn’t ask for.
