Anna Toole

Charleston’s own Anna Toole steps back into the Warriors Cup ring for a highly anticipated match against Paloma Arranz, competing for the inaugural Women’s WCMT World Super Flyweight Title. Having stayed active, the professional fighter is well-prepared for this bout against the talented Arranz. The American athlete not only aims to claim the title as the division’s first champion but also hopes this victory will help cement her long-term goals and legacy in the sport of Muay Thai. 📷 @gemmaflemingphoto 🏆 Sanctioned by @gammaunitedstates 🥇 Approved by @wbcmuaythaiusa 🥊🎽 Gear & Apparel @primo_fightwear @southpaw_stitches Sponsored by @megaeventsandrentals @ywkmn @befitbewell.sbc @muaythaiproject

It’s easy to pass by Charleston Muay Thai and assume it’s just another gym tucked into the quiet, wooded roads of South Carolina. But beyond the garage-style lift gate is a fight team unlike most. The roster is made up almost entirely of women. It’s even become a running joke when fight nights approach, as owner and head coach Jeff Grady will announce the lineup as “The Girls” plus the name of the one male fighter on the calendar. Once a rarity in a sport so often tied to masculinity and the male gender, more gyms are adopting and fostering the right environments where the women are competing just as frequently alongside - if not more than - the men. This gym is not just a space where women thrive. For the four fighters - Anna, Amy, Cayla, and Molly - it’s proof that anyone willing to put in the work has a place where they belong. #thecontendersproject Special Thanks: @jgrady1988

Contender No. 004: Anna Toole Anna Toole is a dedicated school teacher in South Carolina. After hours, a dramatic shift occurs when she steps into the gym. Her kind persona fades, making way for the fierce competitor needed to perform on some of the biggest stages in the sport. “In the classroom, I’m kind, nurturing, and motherly. But in the gym, I become brash, aggressive, and dominant. My training partners and opponents know I’m there to handle business—and am willing to hurt them in the process. It’s a unique challenge because I feel like I’m at one end of the spectrum in the morning, and a completely different person by the evening.” With fighting offering little financial stability, she relies on her teaching career and gives back to the community by coaching private lessons and kids’ classes. Anna has had to navigate the issue of pay equity, especially in the male-dominated world of combat sports. She notes that high-level women’s fights are often more entertaining than the men’s, yet the compensation doesn’t reflect that reality. For her, the solution is straightforward: promote more women’s matchups on bigger platforms to grow the love for women’s combat sports. “Women deserve to be paid the same as men. We put in just as much work to prepare—if not more, because of the chip on our shoulders and the point to prove—and we deserve to be paid for our job.” Anna played many sports, but she finds the lessons in fighting the most profound. It has taught her mental fortitude, humility, and the importance of perseverance—not just in the gym, but in every aspect of her life. “Fighting has been the most difficult, rewarding, and life-changing experience. It keeps my ego in check. Who are you really when you have no other choice than to fight? What are you going to do when you don’t have anyone in that ring to depend on except yourself?” While Anna’s love for the sport transcends financial gain, she still aspires to reach higher paychecks by proving her worth. “At the end of the day, I would fight for free. But I want the world to remember me as the girl that went for it. I wasn’t afraid of anyone or any situation.” #thecontendersproject

“Buy me books and tell me I’m pretty!” Month 4/12

Throwback to @tooletimee shining under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden! Anna got literal goosebumps walking in to “most iconic sports arena” (their words) in the world. The fight didn’t go her way but that is part of life. She did it for the opportunity to share the space with legends and she accomplished that. Always a huge thank you @warriorscup_3pp and @rfc.promotions for the opportunities. Anna is enjoying some time off currently, but if you know us, that won’t last long!! #charlestonmuaythai #muaythai #madisonsquaregarden

The madness that was March 🤪 It’s a work in progress, but progress is the point 🤷🏽‍♀️ Hoping that April brings you all the flowers 💐 🌺🌻🌷🪻🌹🌼 #blessed 3/12 ✅

Monday, class is in session. #charleston #muaythai

Anna Toole 🎤 Toole’s post fight interview from Warriors Series III at The Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. #warriorscup #rfcpromotions #kickboxing #muaythai

Being a part of a team is an invaluable experience. The team is there for you when it’s go time in practice. The team is there for you to travel to compete and experience all that happens in a fight weekend. The team is there for you to celebrate the wins and to pick you up after the losses. The team is there to be your biggest hype man and to remind you to believe in yourself when you forget. The team is there to make you a better person, by holding you accountable for your actions in and out of the gym. Many life lessons are learned by participating and playing in team sports. And I’m a firm believer that everyone deserves a chance to experience that. It’s an honor to lead the team. It’s an honor to rep the flag. It’s an honor to do things the @charleston_muay_thai way. 📸 by the talented @gemmaflemingphoto #team #blackandwhite #muaythai

What an honor to be able to put a little gym from a city like Charleston on the map at the world’s most famous venue. Win, lose, or draw, I hold my head high because I’m proud of the work I’ve done to get to this point and the person that I have become through the process. The highest highs don’t come without the lowest lows, and life is about learning how to be the best version of yourself through it all. I decided a long time ago that I didn’t want to live a life full of “what ifs…” and I’d rather have a life full of memories beginning with “remember when…” A massive thank you to @warriorscup_3pp and @thailandinsider for the opportunity to fight at MSG and for the sponsorship trip to Thailand. & a huge thank you and shout out to @jgrady1988 for your time and passion for the sport. Thank you for supporting me as both your partner and your fighter. Without you, there would be no @charleston_muay_thai #ontothenextone #blessed #charlestonmuaythai #newyork #msg

💥 What a technical war between @__.ciarra.__ and @tooletimee in our @thailandinsider featured bout at Madison Square Garden! Congrats to both of these fighters for an amazing showcase! 🇹🇭 We are honored by our collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s support by participating in our event and promoting the expansion of Muay Thai in the United States and beyond. 📷 @gemmaflemingphoto

🙏 Thank you to our wonderful partners @thailandinsider for all their support, and for awarding both fighters of our featured female bout an all-expenses-paid trip to @combat.collective ’s 8-Day Women’s Only Muay Thai Retreat in Phuket, Thailand!