I came from a very hard past, and I never want anyone to be in my shoes. When we work our way out of the cycle, the least we can do is give back something—that's what our team always tries to do.

Ramesh Retnam founded Team Black Mamba SG in 2015, starting out as a group of four people at the gym who joined forces as an Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) team. Since then, it has blossomed into a diverse team of 60-70 individuals who find camaraderie through exercise. The group has explored a multitude of fitness activities outside of OCR including HYROX, trail running, hiking, rucking and mountain climbing.

6 years ago, Team Black Mamba SG started its own social and charity wing called mambacares. Team members channel their passion for exercise into supporting worthy causes through participating in fitness events and raising funds.

Ramesh has a particular soft spot for children because they remind him of his own experience growing up. He says that "in a way it's personal, so I try to give back," reflecting on the care centre he had to go to as a child to collect food and money for school. In supporting causes like Care Corner's, he wishes to help children and their families break out of cycles of hardship because he doesn't want them to experience being in his shoes. No one should ever, he emphasises.

Ramesh believes in using exercise as an empowering coping mechanism, to "use pain to forget another pain", as he puts it, and to go through life's challenges and get stronger doing so. Ramesh himself has found solace and strength in fitness, using it as an outlet in his mental health journey over the years.

The stars have aligned for Ramesh, whose burning passions for fitness and charity continue to drive Team Black Mamba SG to new heights.

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