Athlete of the Week: Jonathan "Dunamis" Garcia

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Nicknames in boxing need a little bit of introduction. However, for Jonathan Garcia, his nickname requires a little backstory.

“My grandpa's nickname was Cannon," said Jonathan Garcia, Professional Boxer (3-0, 2 TKO). "That means power, right? I was sitting down with my dad, and he told me he studied theology. So he told me, "Hey, Dunamis means this, so it's power coming from God.”

Dunamis in Greek translates to power, strength, or ability. Garcia grew up playing soccer but decided to try boxing a handful of years ago.

“What I didn't do in probably years, I was able to do in eight months, nine months, ten months,” said Garcia. “So thank God I was able to catch up to the kids, and now the older kids. I think I'm at their level now, or even better.”

It is still early in Jonathan’s career, but he has three wins, two of them by knockout.  

“I don't have words to explain it, you know, it's, it's a dream come true,” said Garcia. “Always thinking about it, like I said, these past five years, I've been thinking about it. I want to turn pro and now I'm three and zero, and one of my next goals is being a world champion.”

Starting hot is one thing, but now the next challenge becomes sustaining that success.

“First of all, it's always being humble,” said Garcia. “You know, you're never gonna stop learning. One of the things that keeps me going is being able to learn. We learn every day, especially in this sport.”

Outside of the ring, Garcia, a spiritual man, also enjoys teaching.

"I give classes at my church and advise the youth. That's what I started boxing for, too, on the expressway here in Mission, Texas. So yeah, if you guys want to go there. You guys are invited."

Jonathan’s next fight is on August 16 at the Harlingen Convention Center.