The clear water, reflecting the blue bottom of the standard-sized swimming pool, was being swam with the strength and determination of a small man who pushed forward relentlessly. Despite having no arms and only one leg intact, he used every part of his body to swim the breaststroke with all his might, full of willpower and determination. This is Chakorn Kaewsri, or "Shark Rain," a disabled swimmer on the Thai national team, who possesses the heart of a fighter, refusing to give up on fate. He trained himself as an athlete, winning numerous medals and bringing fame to Thailand in international competitions, becoming an inspiration to both disabled and able-bodied individuals, in both sports and life.
"Opportunities don't come to us; we have to go after them. Sometimes we have to try harder. If they come one way, we have to go three or four times harder with the strength we have. We have to fight with both our body and mind.""
"Chalamfon" (Rain Shark) recounts his journey of determination, from a disabled individual to a national Para swimmer, eventually becoming one of 12 role models in sports. This documentary, which tells the stories of Thai sports heroes, was produced by Wangkla Khwankaew, President of the Online Sports Journalists Association with over 30 years of experience in the sports world, along with his team. It was supported by the Safe and Creative Media Development Fund (General Call for Funds) in 2023. The aim is to showcase role models from 12 sports and 12 sports associations in Thailand, empowering children, youth, and parents to find their way to success. Chalamfon's story is one of the episodes that impressed Wangkla.
"Personally, there were many episodes that impressed me, but one that I particularly liked was about disabled athletes, whom we don't usually get to see much of. Working on this documentary series allowed me to get to know them better. For example..." “Shark Rain," Chakorn Kaewsri, even I, who have been in the sports world for a long time, was surprised that he can swim without both arms. It's astonishing; anyone who sees him swims and is a successful Paralympic swimmer for Thailand. I believe many people don't know this because they don't follow the sport closely.” Wankla recounted with amazement and admiration after witnessing the unwavering determination of one of Thailand's top Paralympic athletes, Chalamfon.
Furthermore, the documentary "Sports Role Models: Inspiring Stories" also portrays the lives of 11 outstanding Thai athletes, each with intense and inspiring stories of struggle. These include "Captain Chang" Kritsada Wongkaew, who rose from humble beginnings to become a three-time Futsal World Cup participant; "Thep Bew" Puripol Boonsorn, the Thai sprinting sensation who has won numerous medals and recently made history by running under 10 seconds in the 100-meter sprint at the 2025 SEA Games; "Buakaw" Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Sombat Banchamek, or "Damdotcom," widely regarded as the King of Muay Thai; "Mermaid Noey" Kamonchanok Khwanmuang, the legendary swimmer and gold medalist; and "Mink Saraburi" Natchararat Wongharuthai, a petite but feisty snooker player. Each episode showcases the perseverance, determination, and journey to success of these sports role models, along with the perspectives of their coaches, families, and those behind the scenes who supported and promoted each athlete.
"Because children and youth in our country come from diverse family backgrounds, and have different gender, physical, and cultural backgrounds, we need to select a variety of athletic role models. For example, if a girl wants to be an athlete, what kind of sport can she excel in to be successful? What sport offers the best chance of going far? What about whether she's small or big, has a good physique or not? For instance..." “Mink Saraburi,” Natchararat Wongharuthai, is an inspiring snooker athlete. She’s not physically strong; in fact, she’s quite small, but she chose to play snooker. She can be an idol or a role model for children and youth, showing them that even with a small stature, talent is enough to achieve world-class snooker.
Wankla explained the process of selecting sports role models to inspire diverse groups of youth through a 12-episode documentary, each 30 minutes long. Airing on Channel 5 of the Royal Thai Army Television every Saturday from 13:10 to 13:35, from December 2023 to February 2024, the documentary was edited for conciseness and engaging viewing. It was also distributed across social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, as well as various sports pages, receiving an overwhelming response from viewers and sports fans. While the target was 6 million views, it actually surpassed 10 million views, along with widespread praise for its inspirational approach to the sports world.
"Many people say that programs like this should have been done a long time ago and should be produced more often, ideally covering all types of sports. It's a soft power factor for the country, helping to keep sports heroes in the memories of Thai people forever. They serve as role models for younger generations, allowing them to learn about the life journeys of each athlete, the perseverance, the hard work, the disappointments and failures they experienced, and who helped push them forward before achieving success, winning championships, gold medals, or becoming world-class athletes with widespread fame.""
Wankla proudly recounts the positive feedback and praise received for the documentary he painstakingly produced, hoping that the stories of Thai sports heroes in this series will empower and inspire future generations of Thai children to become sports heroes as well.
Watch inspiring sports role models here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1560014271433074?locale=th_TH
