Road to WTA

Kanophon "Amy" Laokhom is born in June 2009. Her biological parents didn't see her as a blessing, for them she represented a burden, they did not expect. When Amy was 22 months young, her father asked my wife, if she would be willing to take care of Amy. My wife did not hesitate one split second and immediately, she was taken into our childless family. Amy didn't talk one word until she was three years old.Today, eight years later, little Amy is fluent in Thai (of course) and English.The last two years she won best English proficiency in her province.

I am a Swiss national and have passed the age of 73. For me and my wife, Amy is a real blessing! Because of my age it is impossible for me to adopt Amy legally. I live off a small pension, small, because I had left my country when I was only 40 years old. Very soon after Amy started to talk I discovered that she is a "crystal child." Crystal children are kids with very special traits. In all these years Amy has been with us, she has NEVER, ever been angry. Never ... amazing.That is just one of the many wonderful traits she has.

Over the years I had been thinking what I could do to make Amy's life financially secure. I am a tennis fan and so last year I decided that I would let Amy learn tennis and support her to become a professional tennis player like my compatriots Roger Federer, Martina Hingis and Belinda Bencic. But I soon had to find out that tennis training is costly.It's not only the coaches fees, it's also the rackets, the clothes, the tennis shoes, etc.The more we have to drive far to the nearest tennis courts. For 5½ months we trained in Buriram, about 125 km away from our home, which is a 250 km round trip. Then we found courts in Surin and an excellent coach with his 20-year old son assisting. Now we only have to drive 75 km, a 150 km round trip. Thailand is a very hot tropical country and right now we are in the hottest season with temperatures of 40º C (104º F) and beyond. The only time to train is in the very early hours of the morning, so we do it from 06:00 to 08:00. Amy very much enjoys tennis and she is determined to go all the way. Early 2020 she should start competing in U12 tournaments in Thailand and abroad and that also involves travel with all the related expenses as we have to pay travel expenses for her coach as well. You can see her training sessions on her newest Youtube channel "Amy's Tennis Training Channel."

Amy is very, very talented and she needs your help. Your help will set her free of a mediocre life and future. Your donation is helping to eventually propel Amy to success. Do you want to become part of her success?