Support Female Athlete: CocoPuff

  I'm Sophia Torkos, a 23 year old female Muay Thai and boxing fighter from Toronto, Canada, and I need your support and help in reaching my goal to become the top Female World Class fighter. About year and a half ago, I told friends and family that I'm going to Thailand, for the sake of travel and to be a Muay Thai fighter.... After finishing school and training a year and some in the sport, with Krudar Muay Thai, I was more than ready to explore the world before any more studies. Mostly I believed, and still do, that I have something special to offer Muay Thai, as a female fighter.  With a lot of saving and sacrifice, moving back home with my mom, I earned enough for a flight to Thailand and 3 months stay. As soon as I reached Santai Muay Thai I decided to dive right into the fight scene after 2 weeks training in Thailand. I started competing to earn a name in Chiang Mai. Soon I completed about 10 fights in 3 months with 1 loss. I reached my fighting and training goals in 3 months and learned soo much from every fight, however, I wasn't ready to leave. I felt like I just started something special. Thankfully Nik Hjalmarsson from Santai Mauy Thai felt the same and made me an offer that I couldn't refuse. My 3 month funds was up, I was offered a sponsorship with Santai Muay Thai, weekly pay to continue to fight for his gym. During this time, I've had a couple losses that meant a lot to me; they taught me humility and gave me an indomitable mentality.


I've had some big accomplishments as well, like fighting twice on National Thai television on Channel 9 Muay Thai in Aswindam Stadium Bangkok, Thailand and winning. 


I learned the deep rooted traditions of Muay Thai and the importance of team work. The whole village is rooting and inspired by their Nak Muay and Yin Nak Muay (Muay Thai fighters). The opportunity to live amongst many great thai fighters in the making.


  Today I live in Toronto, Canada (born and raised) where I train diligently in Muay Thai and boxing. I was offered the chance to compete in IFMA last year, a world amateur Muay Thai event held in various places around the world,  held yearly. Between school, work and fees to attend the event, I was not able to go and represent for Canada.  I havn't had too much luck in the fighting scene of Muay Thai coming back from thailand a year and a bit ago but, because I'm determined and positive I have something to offer in combative sports I have found amateur fights in boxing through Cabbage Town Club. In 3 months training, I won my first boxing match and I'm fighting in an amateur tournament coming up March 6th-8th 2015 called The Brampton Cups. 


  I was recently was offered to compete on a female Muay Thai Show in Thailand called Muay Thai Angels aimed to start July 2015. I would have to pay for my flight there first, plus training and stay in Thailand before the show starts. I have put my studies aside and I'm now working full-time, considering, I have the option to later continue with school but, will not always have opportunities like this at the athletic peak performance stage of my life. You may be thinking working full-time how I could not save up $4000 in 4 months on my own. Lets consider a room in Toronto is $620 monthly, food 250$ training $140 monthly, paying for competitions like WKA is $500 my current tournament coming up is $40 plus amateur boxing license is $100 yearly, plus $100 fee to participate in MuayThai events yearly, then a ticket alone to thailand is $2000. Consider that on minimum wage in Toronto, a very expensive city. 


You'd think that because MMA is sanctioned in Toronto that Muay Thai, being the main striking component in MMA fighting, would be too. Unfortunately, it is 'not recognized as a sport yet' in my city. As a Canadian Muay Thai fighter in general, not only are you training at least 3 hours a day, 6 days a week between school or work or both, you also have to  travel far and wide, plus pay your way to perform and share this art to an audience. Pay for travel, hotel, training and sometimes even admission into each event. As a female Canadian Muay Thai fighter, it is even harder for a women to maintain a presence in this scene for a few reasons: one is, well there may not be enough female fighters out there to bring in a crowd. Due to the lack of support by our government, promoters want to display fights that will bring many to pay for tickets. Though, 'we' as women train just as hard as men, if not harder to practice and perform Muay Thai in its greatest, purest display, we don't often get the chance to. Its a growing sport that brings tradition and culture to a world stage, many come to watch and I'm sure with a little more awareness, many more will follow. Both men and women  Muay Thai practitioners should be fairly supported just as athletes in MMA, boxing and other combative sports are. 


 I've been training Muay Thai here in Toronto persistently with out much reciprocation, I mean opportunities to perform. Besides money for flight and a month's stay, which I could manage squeeze into savings amongst all else, I would need money for performing, travel fees, food, a visa in Thailand, not to mention, to stay in Thailand longer than one month, which will be needed to stay on MuayThai Angels 2015. I would need to have funds for attending a  learning center other than Muay Thai Fighting, like attending Thai language school a few hours a week. All this would need to be accomplished with in the next 4 months, with some help I'm sure this could be done. Also this $4000 would help in up-coming events both in Thailand and here in North America , like WKA in Virginia, US or Sports Accord (similar to IFMA).


If I reach at least $3000 I will start  documenting my life as a female in these combative sports to raise awareness, help out and advise other females athletes. I'm also a certified yoga instructor and study health, independently. I would post every kind of video from morning yoga routines, to 55 minute-cardio-calisthenic work-outs you could do on-the-go and with limited space, to maintaining a healthy but, enjoyable diet, to taking video interviews of other motivational people I meet along my journey, to fight videos, to Muay Thai or boxing techniques, to Q & A. The $4000 will go toward everything I have divulged in with you today: support for a female athlete in Muay Thai and combative sports. I will make sure that you see how far a little support, even ten or twenty dollars could take someone or even just sharing and acknowledging this letter. In turn, I plan to bring awareness to women in Muay Thai and combative sports.



I believe that I something special to offer the World of Muay Thai. I plan to keep kicking, punching, throwing bows and teeping until it's fully discovered and realized.


Thank you very much for taking the time to consider my letter!