Building a strong international community of young Muay Thai athletes so that when they meet in the ring, they may meet as friends

About Us

Muay Thai Youth is a not-for-profit private organization started by Heidi Tsao. Inspired by the passion, skill, and commitment of youths competing in the 2022 IFMA Youth tournament held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August, 2022, in which Heidi's daughter, Nico was competing, MTY was started shortly after they returned home. Since then, it has amassed a following of over 1000 followers and is growing daily. Having seen the positive difference Muay Thai has made in her daughter's life, Heidi has a special interest in lifting up athletes who identify as girls and women in the sport.

how to be featured

Currently, MTY features athletes aged 12-19 years old. To be featured, send a DM (direct message) to the account. If you are an athlete under 18 years of age, you will be asked to have your parent/guardian send a DM or email to give their permission to share your content. After that, you'll be asked to complete a questionnaire, then send 5-8 photos to be used in your profile.

Not yet 12 years old? Tag us in your posts and stories and we may repost them. Then DM us when you turn 12.

Associations

MTY is a wholly independent organization, not associated with any governing organizations, including, but not limited to IFMA (International Federation of Muaythai Associations), WBC (World Boxing Council), WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organizations), Muay Thai Ontario, Muay Thai Canada, or any other governing bodies that may be mentioned on its platform. As such, MTY does not hold any influence or decision-making power within these or any other groups. Additionally, MTY is not connected to any specific promoters of events. MTY is also not associated with any gyms in particular, with the exception of Stride Muay Thai and Muay Thai Academy, where Heidi and her daughter are members, as well as Sinbi Muay Thai and Rentap Muay Thai, where Heidi and her daughter have trained, however MTY has no formal agreement with these gyms and should be considered completely separate. MTY has no formal associations with any Muay Thai brands either.

Financial Matters

MTY does not profit off of its platform, nor does it generate any funds. MTY has been granted funding by Canadian Women and Sport, a Canadian government agency dedicated to gender equity in sport. Funds received have been applied to operational expenses.

Use of Content

The MTY content platform generally consists of sharing images and words provided by athletes via their own social media accounts. MTY does not make any claim of ownership to either images or content provided by athletes. Updates to content may be requested at any time, which includes the removal of content at any time, for any reason. It should be understood by all parties that their featured profile is a snapshot in time and information may change, such as their age, current gym, current standings, and will not be kept up-to-date unless specifically requested.

Communication

MTY will communicate with athletes via Instagram DM to coordinate the exchange of information. On occasion, athletes and other participants in the platform will be requested to answer polls and surveys, but participation is purely optional. Should the participant wish that their responses not be used in content or associated with them personally, they may request this by sending a DM to the account via Instagram.

Parental Consent

Starting in 2024, all athletes wishing to be featured by MTY who are under 18 years of age will require parental/guardian consent via Instagram DM or email.