Nonglak “Pa Jeab” Chairitthichai

National Longboard Downhill Athlete 2019

Industry : Lifestyle

A self-confessed workaholic and a veteran of the travel industry, Pa Jeab was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to come to terms with a sense of mortality. Rather than mope, she pulled herself together, moved towards a more healthy lifestyle and diet, and took up longboarding—a sport that her son was active in. Having been very sporty as a young girl, she took to the board like a duck to water, and rather than discourage her, her son was very supportive of her new activity. Pretty soon she was part of a crowd that competed around the country, enjoying the camaraderie rather than a desire to win. When downhill skateboarding was first introduced at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the small pool of local athletes in Thailand meant that Pa Jeab found herself, at the age of 63, among the four women selected for the national team. Though she came home empty handed, she proved to everyone that there are no limits to what you can do if you dare to step out of your comfort zone and overcome your fear of failure.