I was a kid when Muhammad Ali was already past his prime. His influence on me was profound, being a living hero to me right up to his death. His rivalries with Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, and Joe Foreman made that era’s heavyweight division the most exciting division in boxing. Muhammad Ali’s appeal to me was as much about what he did in the ring as what he did outside the ring. His stand on the Vietnam war, his conversion to Islam, and his tireless bravery and persistence in the face of Parkinson’s Disease set an example that I will always look up to when it comes to living by your beliefs. Up to his death, Ali continued to champion peace and children’s causes while he tirelessly promoted understanding between East and West, Muslims and Christians.
I feel fortunate to have walked the earth at the same time as this great man and I am grateful that he shared so much with the world. We are less without him.
“Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age.” - Joe Foreman (b. 1949)
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