Author. Activist. Athlete.
Amazin LeThi
Speaker. Advocate. Athlete.
About
‘I suffered a tremendous amount of discrimination and bullying as a child and into my teenage years, I’ve experienced homelessness, poverty and depression that lead to contemplating suicide. I understand what it feels like to be marginalized and what many rainbow (LGBTQ) youth are going through because I have experienced it myself. I don’t want anyone else to go through what I went through so by sharing my story I want to inspire young people and help them achieve their full potential in life.’
Amazin LêThi was born in Saigon where she was left in an orphanage by her mother. Amazin was bullied constantly as a young child because of her ethnicity and sexuality and it was because of this she went into bodybuilding at the tender age of 6 going onto become a competitive natural bodybuilder in her teens then qualifying as a strength and conditioning coach. As a young adult, she was homeless for a number of years and it was at this lowest point, contemplating suicide, Amazin realized her passion and love for sport could help her survive. Gaining physical and mental strength and confidence, from her personal journey of homelessness and against all the odds she has overcome enormous barriers to become one of the most visible and influential leading global rainbow (LGBTQ) advocate in the world. She is also a TV/Film star, entertainment executive and the first Vietnamese internationally published health and fitness author.
During the Obama administration, Amazin helped organize the first 'Spirit Day' collaboration with GLAAD and White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 'Act to Change' . Her story was included in the It Gets Better campaign and the first White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Asian anti-bullying campaign Act to Change.
'Amazin Lethi’s remarkable contribution in the entertainment and fitness industry is inspirational to the Vietnamese American community and she continues to serve as a role model for us all.’
Vietnamese American National Gala Awards
‘This lady is nothing short of amazing’
Vietnam News Agency
'The USA radio network 'Voice of America' observed, Amazin is the first Vietnamese bodybuilder to have entered into the entertainment industry successfully on a global scale.'
Voice of America Network
'To have come so far in her chosen career in sport at such a young age, Amazin has a long future ahead of her. Representing the future forefront of our industry'
IronMan Magazine
“It’s great to have Amazin onboard as one of our Sports Champions. Role models like Amazin can inspire young lesbian, gay, bi and trans people by letting them know they are not along and can feel proud in their identity. We’re grateful that she’s lending her voice and story to help more people learn about LGBT equality in sport. Together, we will make sport everyone’s game.”
Robbie de Santos, Director of Sport, Stonewall
In 2012, she became the ambassador for Vietnam Relief Services and in 2014 the first Asian ambassador for Athlete Ally. In 2016, GLAAD named Amazin one of only seven Asian LGBTQ activists accelerating equality globally and in 2018 named one of four Asian LGBTQ athletes accelerating sports equality by the American National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance along with becoming the first openly out Asian athlete to appear in the Stonewall UK ‘Rainbow Laces Campaign’. In 2019, listed in the Out 100 List, Australian Pride Power List and for the second year listed in the Human Rights Campaign Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Honours list. During Asian Pacific Islander (API) month of May this year Amazin was part of the first API Pride in Washington DC presented by the Capital Pride Alliance and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. At the end of 2019 she became the first Asian Sport Champion (Ambassador) for Stonewall UK's new Sports Champion Ambassador Program Read More
In 2020, Amazin became the first Asian LGBTQ Athlete to be honoured at the Brooklyn Nets 4th Annual Pride Night at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn with the 'Game Ball Delivery' Read More. In January, during the democratic presidential campaign Amazin was one of 100 Asian Pacific Islander influencers in the USA who officially endorsed presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren Read More. In March, Amazin joined the Mike Bloomberg presidential campaign Asian Pacific Islander and LGBTQ National Leadership Councils. After Mike Bloomberg ended his campaign, Amazin joined the Team Biden campaign: LGBTQ+ for Biden and Asian Pacific Islander committee.
During 2020, Pride Month, Amazin partnered with The Advocate to host the first Pride Month Asian LGBTQ voices Instagram live series on their Instagram. Amazin spoke to LGBTQ Hollywood talent: B.D Wong, Leo Sheng, Leonardo Nam, Jake Choi and Rain Valdez. She has also been named a 2020 Global Changemaker and listed in Go Magazine 100 Women We Love List. In October, Amazin became the first Asian and LGBTQ official judge for ABB Formula-E's first ever Open Talent Call Youth Presenter Search.
In 2021, Amazin made LGBTQ history by becoming only one of two Asian ambassadors for Copenhagen2021 and Pride House 2022 Commonwealth Games. She also became the first Vietnamese Federation of Gay Games ambassador. Already this year she has been listed in the #Attitude101 100 LGBTQ Trailblazers List as only one of ten athletes under sports, part of ICON 2021 in New Zealand and was highly commended for the 'Unsung Hero Award' at the Diva Awards. During Asian Heritage month of May, Amazin was named 1 of 6 extraordinary Asian women by Forbes magazine.
In 2022 Amazin became the first Asian and Asian LGBTQ sports ambassador for Sporting Heritage.
She advisors’ governments, fortune 500 companies, sports and international organisations all over the world around LGBTQ and sports equality and she was part of the Team Biden campaign: Out For Biden Team: LGBTQ and Asian communication digital advisor.
‘Without a mirror image of myself in the media, I had to create my own narrative as a child and, as an adult, this helped me stand in my own truth to be brave and unapologetic as an openly out Asian woman. By sharing my story and living authentically and unapologetically gives me the freedom to realize that my emotions are real, that how I feel inside matters and that I’m worthy of owning the space that I’m in. I want my story to provide a positive message for any rainbow or API (Asian Pacific Islander) person or athlete who wants to be openly out in sports and life’