The Wandering Pugilist

The Fighting Preacher

Manuel Dunham is an amateur boxer and church pastor from Seattle, WA. His story presents a dichotomy between hurting and healing: hurting opponents in the sport of boxing, and healing followers in the church congregation. As a boxer and traveler, I have spent years documenting the sport to advocate beyond the conventional view that boxing is inherently violent. Instead I attempt to show that in spite of the fighting, the culture of boxing embodies traits of nobility, compassion and sacrifice. This story encompasses the goal of finding unexpected gentle elements within a rough world.

This essay won one of five first place prizes in the "Full Story" competition of National Geographic/Nikon in 2012.