In the lead up to the Paris Olympics 2024, the Thai government set the ambitious goal of winning six gold medals. Yet only Panipak Wongpattanakit, the Taekwondo athlete affectionately known as ‘Tennis’, brought one back from Paris.

Across Thailand’s 72 year history of participation in the Olympics, Tennis is the first Thai athlete to ever succeed in defending her title, and that also makes her the country’s only two-time gold medal winner.

Members of the FCCT and Numeni Leaders met the Olympic star, the newest member of Numeni, and heard her story. Tennis described her feelings upon winning her second gold medal, and explained why she retired. She spoke of her mindset. “In every competition, I ignore all distractions. I don't listen to doubts from other people - I believe in myself. I only fight to win. The only thing on my mind is the gold.”