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Published on February 28, 2008

The lanky Chonnapas is the sole Thai sportsperson picked as part of the Visa Selection campaign, held in Siam Paragorn, to be the face of Thailand at the August 8-25 Beijing Olympics. 

"The aim of the campaign was to search for three persons who will represent Thailand at the Olympic Games in line with its motto of higher, stronger and faster," Chonnapas said.

"As two businessmen were selected to represent 'higher' and 'stronger', I, the only athlete, was selected to represent 'faster'," she said.

Call it sheer chance or destiny, Chonnapas' achievements in the Korean martial art are certainly not what she would have planned - at the beginning of the chain of events that have made her the hope of a nation for sporting glory. But when Chonnapas competed in the Olympic Selection Tournament in Manchester, last September, Thailand realised that it has finally found an athlete of calibre to take over from Athens Olympics heroine Yaowapa Boorapolchai.

Chonnapas's love for taekwondo started when she was just 11 years old. Her mother Mareena enrolled her for ballet and Thai dancing classes. However, those two activities did not catch the small girl's fancy, and she, instead, developed a passion for taekwondo, a combat sport believed to be suitable only for men.

"Actually, my mum did not support my decision to take taekwondo seriously. Taekwondo is a very challenging sport. I had to discipline myself and work very hard according to a plan. And as I grew stronger - physically and mentally - I gained more confidence and thought more seriously about competing," Chonnapas said.

She was 12 then. Chonnapas displayed maturity beyond her years and she burst into prominence capturing a silver medal in her debut junior championships at the Ambassador Hotel.

"That was my first success in the sport. Two years later, I made the national team for the first time for the 2002 Asian Championships in Jordan and to everyone's astonishment, I returned with a bronze medal."

Chonnapas also made an impact in international competitions. She trained intensively for her first SEA Games in Vietnam in 2003. Her determination and hard work paid off when she bagged a bronze. She followed that up with gold medals in the next two editions, in Manila and Nakhon Ratchasima. Besides the SEA Games, she also strutted her stuff in two Asian Games to win silver medals in Busan and Doha.

"I still have much to learn and valuable experience to gain. My performance at the Olympic selection tournament in Manchester last year was one of my greatest moments. I would consider the medals won at the Asian Games to be also up there, as I lost to much stronger rivals in the final," said Chonnapas, who stands 175cm, weighs 61kg, and competes in the under-67kg category.

"For most athletes, the Olympics is a once-in-lifetime experience. It's also my top priority and, without doubt, my ultimate dream. Although I have been selected to go to Beijing, my competing there would hinge on my winning the selection trials conducted by the Taekwondo Association of Thailand," she said.

South Korean coach Choi Young Suk, who was the man behind Yaowapa's success in the Athens Olympics, where she won a bronze, has set strict guidelines for all Thai taekwondo exponents. Three weeks ago, Chonnapas injured her knee and cut down on intensive training.

"With the injury, I could not train like the others, but just underwent light weight training at the Sports Training Centre of the Sports Authority of Thailand and some physiotherapy sessions. At first, I was very anxious about making it to Beijing, but the fast recovery has made me confident. I'm upbeat about rejoining the training sessions with team-mates," she said.

About her prospects in Beijing, in case she makes the cut to join the national contingent, Chonnapas said: "The Olympics will serve as the battleground for the elite. Getting there is hard enough, leave alone winning a medal. Factors such as the draw, one's pre-fight preparation and luck on a given day are also very decisive.

"I have no way to go but up. With commitment and love for the sport, I hope to achieve my dream. I promise to give my best and make the country proud. Even if I return empty-handed, I would still believe I've given my best. But it's too early to think about that. Meanwhile, I have some academic matters to care of. I  need to graduate. I cannot earn my living from taekwondo," said the second-year English-major student at the Kasetsart University.

Whether the Chonburi-born 21-year-old will be able to live up to the promises, come August in Beijing, remains to be seen.

As The Nation continues to play a vital role as media partner of the Visa Selection campaign, Sports Editor Preechachan Wiriyanupappong spoke to taekwondo exponent Chonnapas Premwaew, one of the three

selections, on how the Beijing Olympics has inspired her.

The Nation