Team Photographer Mike Fiechtner named a World Sports Photography Awards finalist

The Seattle Sounders cultural function is to represent Seattle on a wider stage. Putting our community in the spotlight and the Sounders have been doing a excellent job of that as local photographer Mike Fiechtner has been nominated as a finalist for the World Sports Photography Awards in the “football category”. For the pic he took of the celebration after Defiance man Kalani Kossa-Rienzi bagged in the winner at the 88th-minute. Kossa-Renzi was acquired by the club as the 1st round pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft and on that day were the Sounders hero as he got us past the US Open Cup Quarterfinals and into the semis.

Mike Fiechtner currently being recognized by the world for his amazing work and his story is rooted deep in the community plus shows there isn't a better man who could be nominated. He's adopted 3 kids from the African nation of Ethiopia and he loves them all! This is because of the work he's done in Africa. In June 2013 Fiechtner went to the African nation of Rwanda to help ERM Rwanda . A amazing organization based in Washington state that works directly with the people of Rwanda, specifically widows and orphans of the genocide of 1994. For those who don't know about 1 of the continent's worst tragedies, in 1994 Rwandans lost their lives in 100 days as the Hutu tribe brutally tortured and murdered members of the Tutsi tribe. With the government using the citizens to enacte their evil desires. Emmanuel Sitaki Kayinamura, who's the founder of ERM Rwanda lost 35 of his family members during the horrendous genocide with him and his mother ending up as the lucky 1s who survived. Now 19 years later he's used his traumatic experience to help make himself into a stronger and better person that helps others to live better lives and help others to become selfless stronger people themselves. By doing things like running a vocational school where students can learn trade skills such as masonry, carpentry, hair dressing, sewing and welding. ERM is also working directly with widows of the genocide who make crafts that are sold at the local market.

And that wasn't the last time he used his talents to tell the stories of the wonderful people of Africa. As in January 2012 he was asked by Locke Morgan of Restoration Ministries Worldwide andThe Liberia Project to join a group on a trip that took him across the nation of Liberia a country at the time was recently ravaged by a horrific civil war. And he meet many wonderful people and heard their stories of how they were affected by the horrible war. But with each heart breaking story the strong people of Liberia took some good from it. A inspiring example for us all to remind us what's most important is how we think about what happens to us and not what happens to us. And it made from some awe inspiring photos.

For years he's been preserving the most important and best memories of Seattleites like their graduations, weddings, engagement and even generally personal and family photos. And does a fantastic job. Here's where you can contact him to hire him to do more fantastic work for you too.

And here's line of work such as his portfolio for his work for families.

And his work in Rwanda

Thanks a bunch for reading!