May 13th, 2023, was Legends Boxing’s 7th annual Executive Fight Night, featuring fighters from around Utah boxing to their limits. Though, some of Legend’s Fight Night sponsors don’t keep their fight in the ring.
Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) is an international effort to eradicate the sexual trafficking and exploitation of children and adults. O.U.R. helped sponsor the fight night with their founder, Tim Ballard, who spoke at the event and held an auction with proceeds being donated to the cause. Two of the fighters that night represented O.U.R. directly: Courntey Manwaring and James Lawrence a.k.a. “The Iron Cowboy.” Both fighters won their matches, one through points, and the other through a knockout in the first round.
As a well known athlete and motivational speaker, James Lawrence is an avid supporter of O.U.R.’s mission. “I love the cause, I’ve got four teenage girls and a son. It impacts all of us, so I wanted to help and contribute any way I could,” he stated in an interview about the fight and his involvement with O.U.R. James got the nickname “The Iron Cowboy” in 2015 for his world record performance of 50 “ironman” triathlons completed in one year, later going on to break that record in 2021 when he completed 100 “ironmans” in 100 consecutive days.
Never having boxed before, James was asked by O.U.R. if he would represent them in this fight. Hesitant at first, he eventually accepted the challenge. “I get on stages and I tell people to become uncomfortable and do things that are hard and I was like, dang it, I have to do this.” But after only eight weeks of training at Legends Boxing in Orem, UT, The Iron Cowboy was able to add one more incredible feat to his record: a knockout in the first 33 seconds of the fight. “It was an amazing, electrical feeling,” he recalled. In that same interview, James told of his involvement with O.U.R. while asking for donations at athletic and speaking events, “Over the course of the last two years we’ve raised over a million dollars for O.U.R.”
But James and Courtney aren’t the only supporters of O.U.R. Thousands of people worldwide donate time and money to the cause, and plenty of those supporters attended the fight night in person. Camilla Cloward, one of O.U.R.’s state ambassadors, told us she believes the most important things to know about this cause are: “The first thing is that [O.U.R.] exists. Then, that human trafficking is everywhere. It’s right here, it’s in every country, it’s in every state. So we need to educate and become aware. Operation Underground Railroad has so many amazing documentaries and resources for anyone looking to get educated. First start with yourself, in your home, and then into our communities.”
To get involved in the fight against sexual trafficking and exploitation, donate money, or volunteer, visit ourrescue.org
Written by: Julie Jarvis
Contributor at the Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Awesome