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Simply Amazing
Category: General Published on Monday, 01 December 2008 17:18 Written by The Word Hits: 747
Forty-eight-years-ago a young Austrian dusted off the squat rack at his local gym and began a career in bodybuilding. The hobby turned into a passion and the bodybuilder soon reached the apex of the sport, winning multiple titles. The athletic success garnered him roles in Hollywood movies, multi-million-dollar business opportunities and countless fans. Today, we know this man as “The Governator”.
Although she hasn’t reached the dizzy heights of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Amazin Le Thi, a female Vietnamese bodybuilder, has also used fitness to propel herself onto bigger and better things.
“Bodybuilding is all about focus and determination,” says Amazin, who was born in Saigon but spent the majority of her life in New York, LA, London and Paris. “I started at six years old doing just sit-ups and push-ups and I was always able to set and exceed the goals I made for myself. It was a sport that I could do alone and it created a platform which I used as a jump-off point for other things in life I wanted to pursue - fashion, acting, directing and much more.”
Setting an Example
While Amazin is the typical example of a success story – she grew up in a Vietnamese orphanage before being adopted and taken abroad – for Asians, and in particular Vietnamese, her experience is a rarity. “When it comes to the entertainment and fitness industry, Asians are terribly under-represented,” she laments.
Her statement seems particularly true about Vietnamese celebrities and personalities abroad. As it stands Tila Tequila (of VH1 and Maxim fame) and Pax Thien (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s adopted Vietnamese son) are Vietnam’s most recognisable exports in America. Other actors like Dustin and Johnny Nguyen are making a name across the pond, but they aren’t on the same level as Chinese superstars Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li or Jackie Chan.
“There aren’t very many Asian role models for the younger generation to look up to,” says Amazin. “I hope to use my success as a bodybuilder and fitness guru to set an example that can be followed. I consider myself a pioneer for Vietnamese female bodybuilders and would like to be a voice for the Asian community.”
For Amazin, while the success of an Arnold Schwarzenegger or a Barack Obama can be inspirational, the Asian community cannot readily relate to them. She believes this to be a problem. Also an issue are people’s belief systems.
“I would like to breakdown common Asian stereotypes,” she continues, “particularly among women. We can be strong, too. If I can do it, so can you.”
An Amazin Business
Rapper and entrepeneur Jay-Z’s most quoted line is, “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man.” Through her fitness career, Amazin has toed a like-minded mentality.
Using her competing days as a springboard, she has also authored many fitness books, been featured in bodybuilding magazines and trained the whole spectrum from Olympic athletes to Special Forces Soldiers to celebrities. Despite her considerable successes through fitness, she is adamant about not being pigeon-holed.
“I am grateful for the discipline and opportunities that bodybuilding has given me, but I would like to think of myself as somewhat of a renaissance woman,” she explains. “For example, what does Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs do? He started out with music, but has branched out into everything. I have also been involved with filmmaking, modeling, fashion and activism.”
Having recently returned to Vietnam to survey the entertainment scene and begin some charitable initiatives, she believes her higher profile may be able to assist. She spent time visiting orphanages in Hanoi and fit in as much sightseeing down south as her busy schedule allowed.
“I haven’t been back to Vietnam in quite some time and there are definitely many things I would like to do here in media, fitness and charity.”
Lend me Your Ears
One of her initiatives includes raising awareness for HIV, Hepatitis and liver cancer.
“When you consider many of the best known global names such as Live 8 or Bill Clinton’s charity group, the efforts and causes focus mainly on Africa,” she explains. “What about Asia? What about Vietnam? There aren’t many high profile causes to address the problems over here. Once again, I would like to become a voice for these issues.”
The former bodybuilder also has grand plans to affect change in Vietnam’s current fitness apparatus. Sports academies and nationwide fitness programmes are at the top of the list.
“I was able to use fitness to get to where I am today,” she says. “Sport should be a viable option for the youth of Vietnam as a tool to achieve their dreams. If a particular athlete excels at, say tennis, there should be a school or institution that cultivates that talent. Other communities are afforded the opportunity through sports academies to achieve success. Now there needs to be a greater emphasis to give these same opportunities to the Vietnamese.”