Parinya Kiatbusaba (aka Nong Tum) only wanted one thing as a boy growing up in Thailand -- to be a girl.  In his teens, after a short time as a Buddhist Monk, he began to train as a kick boxer in the art of Muay Thai. He wanted to earn the money to help take care of his family and afford sex reassignment surgery. He went on to become the most dominant young kick boxer in Thailand. He racked up win after win. The media and general public were intrigued by the incongruity of a make-up wearing 16-year-old kathoey, or "lady boy," defeating and then kissing a larger, more muscular opponent. By 1999 Nong Tum announced retirement, planning to have sex reassignment surgery and pursue a singing career. After surgery she did fight again. At the age of 25, Nong Tum hammered Japan's Kenshiro Lookchaomaekhemthong in an exhibition muay Thai bout. After three rounds she won by unanimous decision; leaving her rival with a cut near his eye from an elbow in the last round. The recent film Beautiful Boxer was based on her life.