By Mahika Panditha — You guys know I am a sucker for sweets. So, you can imagine my excitement when I came across Cindy’s Cakes and Confections. What interested me even more is the talent behind the business. Earlier this week, we spoke with the amazing 21-year-old Cindy Cooray – model, baker, and aspiring content creator. “I am immensely passionate about the creative side of things, whether it is creating content, concepts, music, writing, cinematography, or fashion. I love including all these elements in everything I do. Another thing I am very passionate about is fitness and health,” she said. I urge you all to check out Cindy’s Cakes and Confections – I am going to get myself a box of goodies one of these days too. Aside from this, we also got to touch on Cindy’s fitness journey and how she shares her story on her platforms. Cindy is currently studying business management and hopes to encourage more people to take care of themselves both in terms of the physical and the mental. A fun fact before I let you get to the good stuff; Cindy loves her caffeine! “While it is preached that the path to financial freedom is avoiding frivolous purchases, I cannot give up good coffee. I am unwilling to compromise when it comes to caffeine and I am very specific about taste.” Anyway, without further ado, Cindy Cooray, everyone! What inspired you to start Cindy’s Cakes and Confections? It was at the very beginning of the pandemic and I had a lot of time on my hands to do things that I would not have been able to usually do due to university and other things that get in the way. I always enjoyed cooking and watched a lot of Masterchef and was always very fascinated by how people take certain elements and give them life. I began to bake lots of things from cakes to bread and eventually became very invested in desserts. A few of my inspirations when it comes to cake and desserts are Reynold Poernomo, Meruyert Nursila, Pauline Cake, Tortikannuchka, and Joshua John Russel from Man About Cake. It was just so amazing to see these incredibly talented people do more than just bake a cake. There was a lot of skill involved and you could just tell from the end result how much thought and work had gone into it from the flavours, texture, colour gradients, structures, and different types of techniques used. Being a creative, I wanted to do just that and bring more than just a cake to the table. There is a long way to go but I am tenacious. What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it? I think the biggest challenge was to get myself to actually believe I could do it. There was a lot of resistance in the beginning and the pandemic was not helping at all, but I figured if I took it one day at a time I would be one step ahead of where I was yesterday. So one day I would figure out packaging, the next day I would figure out how delivery would work and on other days I would bake cakes and desserts in different ways to see what would work best. Before I knew it, I completed my first order which was the chocolate babka. There was a lot of discipline involved at first. Waking up at 3 a.m. to make doughnuts and work out was not fun, but I am so glad I did because it made me realise how much willpower I actually have. It’s surreal to think how far I have come and how much I have learned about the business and also myself in terms of ability and resilience. What would you say is your favourite product off your menu and why? I can’t choose between the chocolate brownie and chocolate cake but I would definitely say the chocolate cake, only because there was a lot of effort that went into perfecting it. It’s incredibly rich and decadent and tastes amazing. Who doesn’t like a good slice of chocolate cake? Where do you see Cindy’s Cakes and Confections existing? Visualising a pretty luxury cafe and cake studio in the heart of Colombo serving only the best coffee and desserts. I want to bring something different to the table in terms of aesthetic, taste, and experience and deliver in a way that has not been done before. Hopefully in the distant future, this dream will come to life. Aside from this, you are also invested in fitness! Tell us about your fitness journey. My fitness journey has been a long one. I first became invested in fitness and healthy eating at the tender age of 12, but it was for all the wrong reasons. I was a chubby kid and even though there wasn’t anything wrong with it, I was bullied heavily for it. Eventually it took a toll on me and resulted in me having a bad relationship with food. I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at the age of 16. There was always a passion in me for fitness and health but it came from a place of wrong intent. Recovering from the eating disorder took a long time and it definitely took a toll on my health mentally and physically. I am now completely recovered and I feel so proud and relieved to say that. It’s almost like it never existed. I work out everyday and I do it not because it’s driven by aesthetic goals but because it just makes me feel so good. I do a variety of workouts within the week and this includes strength training, HIIT, pilates, kickboxing, and running while making sure I take a daily step count of 12,000 to 15,000 steps a day. I have been running more often than usual these days because it really sets the tone for the day and helps me focus. It feels really nice to speak about what I do when it comes to fitness, knowing it is coming from a place of love and acceptance for myself and knowing I am doing it for me and not anyone else. I now work out to be healthy and eat enough to nourish and fuel my body so I have enough energy to thrive for the day. I share a lot about my fitness journey on my Instagram and TikTok handle @cindycooray. It’s definitely been a long journey and as much as it was a difficult time for me, I am also grateful for it because it is what made me the person I am today and gave me amazing opportunities with a new-found empathy. Any advice for people who want to start working out but have no idea where to start? Start small. Find something you enjoy doing as it will help you stay consistent. A lot of people begin short-term diets and eliminate important food that is essential and go back to square one. This is going to cause a lot of problems when it comes to your relationship with food and body image. Lasting results, whatever your intention and goal might be, requires a lifestyle change that can only occur if you enjoy what you do and stay consistent and disciplined with it. Try different things and see what works for you and listen to your own body because only you know what works best for you. For some it could be walking and for others it could be strength training or running. Find something that fits your lifestyle and don’t set unrealistic expectations and goals for yourself. Find what you love, something you can do everyday, and keep showing up. I promise you it makes a huge difference. Most importantly, take care of yourself both mentally and physically. Your health is wealth. PHOTOS © GAYANGA WIJESENA