Hamilton-born artist-turned-fighter to represent Canada at Muay Thai world championship

If, as a kid, Fehn Foss knew she'd one day be fighting in a world Muay Thai championship, she says she wouldn't have believed it.

"I'm surprised every day the turns my life has taken," said the 31-year-old visual artist and Muay Thai fighter, originally from Hamilton. 

Foss describes herself as "nerdy" growing up and didn't play any sports. But when she was in her late teens, she discovered kickboxing, which drew her to Muay Thai as a young adult. 

After eight years of intense training, Foss is headed to Turkey this week to represent Canada at the 2025 Senior World Championship run by the International Federation of Muaythai Associations. She'll compete in the 67 kilogram weight class. 

"I'm really proud to be going and it feels very 'once in a lifetime,'" she said. 

The combat sport from Thailand is different from kickboxing in that it allows fighters to strike opponents with any of their "eight limbs": fists, elbows, knees and shins. They can also throw and clinch opponents. 

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As Foss got serious about Muay Thai, she was also completing an undergraduate degree in photography and masters in visual arts. By April 2022, she was training at Lotus Fitness in Toronto and had her first competition at Lithuanian House on Bloor Street W. 

"I was beyond nervous about having an anxiety attack while in the ring," said Foss. 

But as soon as she was there she found a "deep focus." She won. 

"It was one of the coolest experiences to go from such extreme nervousness and, quite frankly, fear to being relieved, elevated and proud of all the work I put in," she said.

"Then I was hooked and I knew I wanted to