Nak Muay

What are the dreams and sacrifices of a fighter? What is it like being a top female athlete in a male dominated sport? In this photo essay, I have documented Jeannie Nguyen's journey as an amateur women's Muay Thai fighter trying to turn pro. This project is both an expression of my love for the art of Muay Thai and my admiration of fighters. I aim to capture the emotions, spirituality, kinship and deep community that exist due to this sport. I am continuing and expanding this project and will be documenting the community and culture of Muay Thai as a whole for the next 1-2 years and plan to publish a book. The grant money awarded to the winner of this contest would help me to achieve this dream of mine.