Anna Jaroonsak reveals comeback motivation: “I almost quit fighting because of all the negative comments online”

The demons that nearly derailed Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak’s promising career are finally in the rearview mirror. After a brutal mental health battle that kept Thailand’s rising star away from competition for nearly two years, the atomweight striker has rediscovered her passion for combat.

The 19-year-old phenom squares off against Teodora Kirilova at ONE Fight Night 34: Eersel vs. Jarvis on Prime Video on Friday, August 1, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium. Supergirl enters the Muay Thai bout walking a path back to elite competition that has been anything but straightforward.

November 2023 marked a turning point that Jaroonsak never saw coming. Her crushing defeat to Cristina Morales wasn’t just another loss on the record books — it was the catalyst for a downward spiral that threatened to end her fighting career permanently. The devastation began hours before the opening bell when a simple morning routine went catastrophically wrong.

What should have been routine preparation transformed into a nightmare scenario. Supergirl’s pre-fight vitamins, taken on an empty stomach at 4 AM, triggered nausea that left her vomiting in venue bathrooms. The physical discomfort was merely a preview of the psychological warfare that would follow in the coming months.

Furthermore, the mental toll of modern combat sports began weighing heavily on someone who had been throwing strikes since childhood. Social media’s double-edged sword cut deep into Jaroonsak’s psyche, transforming fan criticism into debilitating anxiety attacks. Sleep became elusive as negative online commentary played on repeat in her mind.

“I remember training so hard for that fight, I was incredibly fit and ready. I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll definitely win easily.’ But then, the morning of the fight, I made a mistake without realizing it,” she said.

“Woke up at 4 AM, took my usual vitamins, including Vitamin C, on an empty stomach. When I got to the venue, I started feeling nauseous. I tried eating a banana, and immediately, I threw up in the bathroom,” she said.

Anna Jaroonsak Describes Her Mental Health Struggles

The fighter who had compiled over 40 Muay Thai victories by age 16 suddenly found herself questioning everything about her chosen profession. Jaroonsak’s meteoric rise through Thailand’s striking ranks meant nothing when panic attacks began consuming her daily routine. The “Supergirl” moniker felt like a cruel joke during her darkest moments.

Building a new life away from Bangkok’s spotlight became essential for Jaroonsak’s recovery process. But her Phuket gym project provided purpose beyond competition while modeling opportunities offered creative outlets she’d never explored. The physical distance from Thailand’s capital allowed mental space to heal wounds that went deeper than any opponent’s strikes.

Consequently, multiple comeback offers from ONE Championship fell on deaf ears throughout her extended hiatus. The fire that once burned bright inside Thailand’s youngest elite striker had been reduced to smoldering embers. Until recently, when familiar feelings began stirring inside her chest once again.

“Honestly, I’ve been fighting since I was 8 years old, training constantly without any long breaks. But over the past couple of years, as I started gaining recognition and social media became a big part of it, it really affected my mental health,” she said.

“I almost quit fighting because of all the negative comments online. I felt so down, almost depressed and having panic attacks. Sometimes I couldn’t even sleep.

“ONE has contacted me many times before, but I wasn’t ready then. I was busy with work, and that ‘I want to punch someone’ feeling just wasn’t there. But now, I genuinely feel ready.”