Vietnamese female racer wins Asian championship: I was lucky not to have my car caught fire in Thailand

Ton Hoang Khanh Lan is a very familiar name in bodybuilding, having virtually no rivals in domestic competitions for many years. Since 2001, the female athlete, born in 1978 in Dong Nai, has consistently achieved top honors in the 52kg weight class and has been the all-around women's champion in 6 out of the last 9 national championships.

Not to mention, Khanh Lan has "dominated" her preferred weight class for 5 consecutive National Sports Games since 2006! In 2018, Khanh Lan also made her mark on the international stage with a gold medal at the World Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships held in Thailand.

Sports competitions held in Thailand seem to have a special connection with Khanh Lan, as in 2015, the girl from Dong Nai once again won a gold medal, but this time not in bodybuilding, but in road cycling, mass start event for women in the amateur category, age group 45-49.

Immediately after returning to Vietnam, female bodybuilder Ton Hoang Khanh Lan had an interesting conversation with a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper about her journey to winning the precious gold medal in Thailand.

Female athlete Ton Hoang Khanh Lan won the gold medal at the 2025 Asian Road Cycling Championships held in Thailand (Photo: Provided by the athlete).

Hello and congratulations to Ms. Khanh Lan. I'm sure the feeling you have about winning the gold medal in Thailand is still fresh in your mind?

- Even though I've been back home for a few days, I'm still feeling euphoric, like I'm floating on a cloud, because I honestly can't believe I could win a gold medal on my first international competition, and in a sport that isn't my forte.

I remember when I crossed the finish line and the team members informed me that I had won the gold medal, I still couldn't believe it was true. My heart was pounding, and I was incredibly nervous. Then, after receiving countless congratulations from everyone and seeing the news reports, I realized I had achieved my dream.

The secret to "going all out, cutting corners" on the racetrack.

It seems that she wasn't the athlete targeted by the Vietnamese cycling team for a gold medal at the tournament in Thailand; instead, the focus was on promising names like Nguyen Thi That, Nguyen Tuan Vu… So what was the secret to her outstanding achievement?

- I only learned about road cycling in mid-June 2022. Back then, I used to joke with people that if you're a strongman, you just get on the saddle and you're on the podium (winning a medal). When you compete, you have to fight with all your might, "go all out," just like me. I always aim to compete beautifully and leave a good impression on everyone.

When competing in Thailand, I always remembered the advice of Coach Dang Ngoc Tu (Coach of the Dong Nai Provincial Cycling Team): to focus 100% on chasing the opponent, waiting for the most opportune moment to accelerate in the final kilometers using a tactic commonly known as "drafting".

I had to try to stay close to my opponent, maintain a reasonable balance, and then unleash a burst of speed in the final 200 meters to surprise my opponent and make it impossible for them to stop me from finishing first. Before heading to Thailand, I told my coach that I would win the coveted jersey, stand on the podium, and watch the Vietnamese flag being raised.

The whole night before the competition, I was so nervous that my sleep was restless, and I prayed that nothing would go wrong during the race. Joking aside, I also watched many clips of athletes sprinting to the finish line, including female athlete Nguyen Thi That, who is my idol.

At that tournament, the Vietnamese team faced a rather ironic incident: all their bicycles caught fire right before the race. Were you among the athletes whose bicycles were destroyed, and did that significantly affect your morale or that of your teammates during the race?

- Luckily, I wasn't with the group on February 5th, so my bike didn't catch fire like everyone else's. To be honest, it was also because I didn't have enough money to leave early. To go to Thailand to compete, I only received 5 million VND in support from the Cat Viet Thai Club; I had to cover the rest myself. The Vietnam Cycling Federation only assisted me with registration and transporting my bike to the competition venue.

Initially, I really wanted to compete in both the individual time trial and the women's mass start. However, the difficulty was that in the individual time trial, I needed a bike that met the standards of the Asian Cycling Federation, and since my height was a bit of a requirement, borrowing a standard bike was very difficult.

Therefore, I could only compete in the single event: the women's mass start. Luckily, I wasn't psychologically affected by the car fire like everyone else, so I won the precious gold medal. I still feel overjoyed and happy because I did something that brought glory to my country.

Now that I'm out and about, I'm much more well-known, even more famous than I was in bodybuilding. The other day, I went to a restaurant, and many people recognized me and came up to ask for photos. When I was cycling on the road, so many people greeted and congratulated me that I felt embarrassed and ashamed.

Could you elaborate on how you got into cycling despite already being a renowned bodybuilder?

- Initially, I just wanted to buy a bicycle, to save money compared to riding a motorbike. I'm a single mother, and my daughter is only 12 years old, so I'm trying every way to save money to provide her with a good education.

Furthermore, cycling is good for health, not only contributing to a greener and cleaner environment but also helping me strengthen my thigh muscles in bodybuilding. Cycling has become a daily habit for me. Seeing people racing, I tried it out and have been hooked ever since. In the last four cycling races I've participated in, I've won all four.

For the past two years, I've signed up for cycling races wherever they've been held, and luckily, I've won medals every time.

Unless she's on maternity leave, she won't be a bodybuilding champion.

It is known that before taking up cycling, she was a renowned bodybuilder. In fact, it seems she even won two gold medals in bodybuilding at the national championships last October?

- Since entering professional bodybuilding in 2001, except for 2012 when I took time off to give birth to my daughter and 2023 when I took a break, there hasn't been a single year where I haven't won a championship. I've won gold medals in all six national sports competitions.

For many years in a row, I won the title of Vietnam's number one bodybuilder and the most beautiful female bodybuilder in Vietnam.

In short, throughout my 23 years of competition, I've won at least one or two gold medals every year. This year, 2025, my goal is to win gold medals at the Southeast Asian and Asian Bodybuilding Championships in July, and at the National and World Championships, both taking place in October.

How do you think bodybuilding helps you in cycling competitions?

- Physical fitness helps me develop strong leg power, an iron will, and confidence when competing in cycling. Conversely, cycling greatly supports physical fitness, burning cardio calories and helping to tone and define my thigh muscles.

Khánh Lan is also known for being very good at football and martial arts; it seems she knows how to play almost every sport. So, does anyone ever tease her about lacking gentleness and femininity?

- On my first day of cycling races, the referees kept mistaking me for a man because of my muscular physique. Even many male athletes didn't look as strong as me. Only a few people knew I was female bodybuilder Khanh Lan, so they explained it to the referees and I wasn't asked to leave the starting line anymore.

I could say I'm unique and unconventional because I only like strong, masculine sports like football, martial arts, running, cycling, and bodybuilding. I also only compete against men, rarely against women. Generally speaking, I've won top prizes in every sport I've participated in.

But conversely, in my life I also really like wearing pretty dresses like other women, the only problem is that I'm quite muscular, so I can't find any dresses that fit me. To be honest, when training and competing in any sport, I'm as strong as a man. But in everyday life, I'm a bit shy and reserved, after all, I'm a woman.

Athlete Khanh Lan is determined to win many gold medals in both bodybuilding and cycling in 2025 (Photo: Provided by the subject).

What are your hobbies outside of work? What is your favorite life motto or quote?

- I enjoy doing charity work and helping people. I've also donated blood more than 30 times to help many people in need. Generally, wealthy people do charity work, and since I'm healthy, I do it my way, as long as I live with a good heart and for the benefit of others.

I like this saying: "If you have the mindset of a wolf, success will only be a matter of time." That's the motto I apply to my training and sports competitions.

Thank you, Khanh Lan, for this interesting conversation!

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/tay-dua-nu-viet-nam-vo-dich-chau-a-toi-may-man-khong-bi-chay-xe-o-thai-lan-20250219163106399.htm