03/30/2023
Former professional boxer and 1972 Olympic gold medalist Sugar Ray Seales wears his gold medal, that he won 50 years ago at the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, around his neck. Seales calls it, “the people’s medal.” “I never leave home without it,” he says.
After sustaining injuries from boxing that left him blind in both eyes, Seales retired from boxing and became a special education teacher at Lincoln High School in Tacoma for 17 years.
He then moved to Indianapolis with his wife who passed away in February 2022. Following his wife’s death Seales decided to return to his home city of Tacoma.
But when Seales arrived home he struggled to find housing. He stayed in hotel rooms for 4 months until he could no longer afford the $80 per night fees.
When an old friend, Pastor Gregory Christopher of the Shiloh Baptist Church, heard of Seales situation he offered Seales a private room in the basement of the church, where he has now been living for almost a month.
When asked what he wants to happen in the future Seales said, “My time now is just to be here, for you to treat me right like I treat you, and when I did fight for you, come back and fight for me.”
