She is very beautiful, with all the grace that a woman should have. At the age of 22, this lady has a marvelous feminine sculpted body, with very long legs. She has stylish manicured hands that express more her story than her words only would do. The long nailed fingers drum on the glass table when trying to recall an incident, and all fingers are gracefully spread wide open when talking about how much fun she had in the boxing rings in Thailand.

Meet Khun Parinya Charoenphol, better known in Thailand as Nong Toom. She was in reality, physically born as a man, but with the a woman inside her body.

Nong Toom started Muay Thai boxing at the age of 14 and after several years of fighting in the ring, she saved enough money for a mayor sex-change operation, which gave her the newly won freedom of becoming a complete woman.

Most people in Thailand were obsessed by watching her, even before Nong Toom's operation. Seeing her fight in the ring was extremely entertaining. Adding a dash of lipstick and some makeup beneath her black-rimmed eyes and womanly shaped eyebrows.

Kick boxer Nong Toom would often finish a fight by sensually kissing her defeated opponent. This, she said was nothing more than the way two men would shake hands after a fight, just to say thanks for the great game, it was good fun.

Nong Toom's live story became known to the world when it was included in the Singapore produced TV documentary "Hidden Genders", which featured the transsexuals (katoeys or ladyboys) of Thailand and the hijras of India.

Nong Toom was in Singapore recently to attend the ShowReal Asia Gala Dinner and Award Presentation, which acknowledged the works of up-and-coming filmmakers and production companies. "Hidden Genders" was nominated for Best Film, but unfortunately did not get the award.

A Thai movie based on the real life of Nong Toom, entitled "Beautiful Boxer" is also a huge success in Thailand and abroad. In the movie, Toom does not play herself, as per Thai tradition, women aren't allowed into the kickboxing ring as the ring is considered sacred, being a real woman now, this is also the same reason she can not fight Muay Thai anymore.

I miss the fighting, she says. Although one of the motivation behind Nong Toom's Muay Thai fighting was to make enough money for the transsexual operation, the main reason for fighting was to help to support her poor family.

Things are much better now, she says laughing, remembering the times when she had to train for the fights in her village. Because we were poor, I could not afford sandbags and other Muay Thai equipment, so I ran around kicking all the banana trees around our small house

I was born a boy, but have grew up as a girl. I have always been a girl and now I am a woman. But things can sometimes become a little awkward when I meet some of my childhood friends who still find it strange to accept that I am a complete woman now.

Nong Toom has become a sort of role model in Thailand, with more Katoeys or ladyboys jumping into the entertainment scene. Many people asked her if she feels in any way inadequate because she will never be able to bear children? There are many women who can't have babies, Nong Toom says, does that make them less woman than others?

Nong Toom hopes to become a very famous entertainment performer in Thailand, working already in the modeling world and acting in Thai TV dramas. My future is not very clear right now. But I never thought, some years ago, that I would be where I am today