Meet the Founders
The People Behind
Wor. Watthana
Boom and Frances built Wor. Watthana after seeing firsthand how few safe, positive places were available to children in Boom's home village in Isaan.
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See How It Started ↓How They Met
Two fighters, one shared decision
Frances is Canadian born. Boom is Thai, from a village in Isaan. Both were professional Muay Thai fighters, and they met in Bangkok over a decade ago.
On a visit to Boom's village, the two saw the negative influences shaping the lives of the children around them. It was not something either of them forgot.
Waiting for change wasn't enough.
After five years away from Isaan, Frances and Boom came to the same conclusion: nothing was going to change unless someone made it happen.
They married, then moved back to Isaan together and began building a safer, more positive environment for the children in the village.
It Started in a Garden
A safe place, built in Boom's father's garden
Wor. Watthana began in Boom's dad's garden, where local children could learn Muay Thai and channel their energy into something positive.
The impact echoed through the village, and that small beginning grew into the gym and the wider community that surrounds it today.
More Than Coaches
The work is daily, and mostly unglamorous
Boom and Frances are not simply gym owners. Most of what they do looks like being there, again and again, for the same children.
Showing Up Consistently
The children see the same faces every day, in the same place, doing the same work.
Structure and Discipline
Training gives the day a shape: turning up on time, putting in effort, finishing what was started.
Mentorship
Adults the children can talk to, learn from, and measure themselves against.
A Community Around the Gym
A safe place to spend time, and a group of people who belong to it together.
Built With Community
The gym was never built alone
When Frances and Boom took their story to a crowdfunding campaign, the echoes from the village were heard far beyond it. Support from people outside Isaan raised the money that built Wor. Watthana Muay Thai Gym for the kids of Isaan.
It has been a community-supported project from the beginning, and it continues for the same reason: people keep choosing to stand in the children's corner.
Why People Choose to Support Wor. Watthana
- Boom and Frances live close to the work, in the village the gym serves.
- The project grew directly out of needs they witnessed themselves in Isaan.
- It began locally and organically, in Boom's father's garden, before it was ever a gym.
- The mission has stayed centred on children, Muay Thai, stability, and community.
Stand With the People Who Keep Showing Up
Your support helps Boom and Frances continue providing a safe, consistent place for children in Isaan to train, grow, and belong.
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