When the ABB FIA Formula E Championship was searching for a third judge to join their Open Talent Call series, they tapped an LGBTQ athlete who is as electric as the cars that race in the series.
Vietnamese bodybuilder and activist Amazin LêThi was announced as the newest official judge Wednesday, joining German racing driver Daniel Abt and British television and radio talent Maya Jama as judges for the Formula E Championship Open Talent Call.
She will take part in the Open Talent Call’s effort to find a fresh face among 15 finalists aged 18-24 to be the series’ next on-air commentator to join the Formula E television on-air broadcast for the 2021 season opening race at Santiago, Chile.
“I’m excited to be working with Formula E acknowledging, developing and supporting young, rising talent,” said LêThi in a statement. “For the contestants this will be an amazing opportunity to be part of the motorsports community and be recognised for their talents with the goal of becoming a presenter or commentator. As their first Asian and LGBTQ official judge this demonstrates Formula E’s commitment to diversity and inclusion within the sport.”
The road to this honor has come through a good deal of struggle. The Vietnam-born, Australia-adopted and raised LêThi survived bullying as a child by finding an outlet in bodybuilding started at age 6.
In her professional career she was competitive as a natural (drug-free) bodybuilder and lobbied for LGBTQ rights and anti-bullying efforts. In 2018, she was 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, LêThi made it onto Out Magazine’s Out 100 list and became the first Asian Sport Champion for Stonewall UK’s new Sports Champion Ambassador Program.
She also hosted an Outsports conversation last month with out Asian and Asian-American athletes. You can watch that event by clicking here.
