Parinya Charoenphol | Transgender Woman

Parinya Charoenphol, known as Nong Toom, is regarded as one of the most famous boxers in Thailand. She began her career in 1998 when she won a muay Thai match in Lumpini Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. Already, watchers and commentators were intrigued by her appearance as a kathoey— a Thai term often described as a transgender woman. At that time, kathoeys were often blocked from participating in sports competitions for fear of negative reception. However, the muay Thai world quickly embraced Nong Toom. She often found herself featured in magazines and appeared in music videos.

However, her kickboxing career was only made for one purpose: to save enough money to make an investment towards transition. Finally, she managed to transition to being a woman in 1999 via surgery. After her shift, she made a comeback in 2006, defeating a Japanese boxer. She has also challenged many more fighters, all of them won. Since then, she has focused on her boxing camp in Central Thailand.