Leow Gears Up For Shot At World Title

S'porean muay thai fighter eager to 'level up quickly' against 14-time champ Townsend

- Kimberly Kwek

As a student at the Singapore Management University, Winnia Leow thought she had her career path mapped out - get good grades and focus on securing a corporate job after graduation.

That changed in her final year, when she realised her academic results were unlikely to change significantly.

While her peers were stressing over job applications, Leow chose instead to travel and meet new people. After graduating in 2022, she spent a month exploring South-east Asia and she liked what she saw.

In contrast to Singapore, where she often felt one's worth was tied to intelligence and career success, her conversations abroad were different and she "found that it was a breath of fresh air".

"That's when I started to think about what I really liked, what am I really passionate about and what makes me who I am?" said Leow, who started muay thai when she was 15.

She stayed on in Bali and began to compete in muay thai, with a local gym supporting the cost of her training. She also fought professionally twice (one win, one loss) in Thailand.

The Singaporean has come a long way since - she is 16th in the World Boxing Council muay thai super flyweight rankings.