SEATTLE — In just a few short weeks, an empty building has been transformed into the newest boxing gym in South King County.
The man behind the project is Manny Dunham of Nomad Boxing. He’s not only a boxing coach — he’s also a preacher and a man with a lot of dreams.
He has seen a need in this neighborhood for the gym community he plans to create.
“Let's face it, there's too much drama going out there, too much killing, too much fighting amongst each other, do whatever. A lot of times, people, you know, when they ain't got nothing to do,” said Dunham, “I want to try to put them on the right path before it's too late.”
He knows the challenges teens and other young people in the community are facing. He’s lived on his own since he was 16 years old, finding himself with no place to call home several times.
Dunham did find support in one man, Coach Bumblebee, Willie Briscorae, who convinced Dunham to come train with him in Seattle when he was only 18 years old.
Coach Bumblebee was a tough coach but also cared deeply for his fighters. When asked about his coach’s legacy, Dunham described it as, “The best way I could put it is when it comes down, he got big shoes to fill in. I could never walk in his shoes, but I could always walk in his footsteps, and that's what I aim to do when it comes to, like keeping the legacy going with the youth. He took care of everybody.“
He recounted a time when he was only eating one peanut butter and jelly sandwich a day because that was all he could afford. One day, he was at the gym and almost passed out. When Coach Bumblebee found out he didn’t have anything to eat, he showed up with bags of food the next day.
Now, Dunham is training the next generation of fighters out of both of his gyms: Nomad North Side in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and the new space in South King County.
“It doesn't matter where Manny is, he'll find that community of people who love the box and create a space for people who want a box,” said Dunham’s assistant coach Shelby Barnes. “He's just wanting to create that space in that haven. I think that boxing provided him.”
Among the fighters training at Nomad is Teddy Moore, who used to coach alongside Dunham at another gym and now has his sights on turning pro.
“So for me, boxing is like, it's essential,” said Moore. "It's essential to who I am because I wouldn't be who I am today without that, without the discipline that comes from boxing, without the humbling.”
Training Moore for his professional debut is just part of the mission in the new location. It is 18,000 square feet — enough for two boxing rings. When Dunham first walked in, he said he knew the place was for him.
“I walked in, and I see this messed up place and beat up floors, and then, you know, saying this is looking bad, stains on the wall. I looked, I said, I love it. I said, Man, look at this. I was like, I mean, I saw the vision just came to me," Dunham said.
Dunham posted a picture of his new place on social media catching the attention of one of his gym members Joel Wallace. The pair, along with many members of the community, have teamed up to bring the new gym to life.
“We're gonna touch a lot of lives out here”, said Wallace. “We're gonna have multiple gyms working out of here. You know, we're gonna be building pros out of here. But not only that, we're gonna be teaching the youth. We're gonna be doing school programs. And when you see what just coach Manny can do. You have to imagine every single person that he touches, all the people that they're going to reach out to as well. And it's just going to keep growing for there. It'll go on for a lifetime, more than a lifetime.”
They had eight weeks to get ready for their first main event, the 3rd Annual Bumblebee Box-Off in honor of Coach Bumblebee. The afternoon of fights was held on Aug. 10, attracting an estimated 600 people to watch the young fighters.
Among those in the crowd was Mike, whose mother has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. He sees the importance of having this facility in the neighborhood.
“This gym right here gives access," Mike said. "Access to a kid that's struggling, access to a kid that's hungry, access to a kid that's sitting there not really knowing 'What am I gonna do next, or what should I do in my life?'"
Wallace sees the impact that Dunham could have.
“He's going to shape and mold all of South Seattle. We're gonna touch a lot of lives out here," Wallace said.
As for Dunham, he said he hopes he can continue Coach Bumblebee’s legacy: "This right here is going to be a beacon of light. It's going to be a beacon of light.”