Muhammad Ali is remembered as one of the greatest, heavyweight champions of boxing history. Now you can revisit his career - and his extensive life outside of it - at The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY.
Most of us know about Muhammad Ali - or Cassius Clay, as he was originally known - through his singular achievement of being the only boxer to ever achieve the World Heavyweight Championship three times; the controversies surrounding his joining the Nation of Islam and refusing to fight in the Vietnam War; proclamations that became indelibly associated with him such as "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee;" the sad irony of his Parkinson's diagnosis.
Yet Muhammad Ali is and has been so much more than just a record breaking athlete - as his professed, six, core life principals demonstrate:
Confidence - Belief in oneself, one's abilities, and one's future.
Conviction - A firm belief that gives one the courage to stand behind that belief, despite pressure to do otherwise.
Dedication - The act of devoting all of one's energy, effort, and abilities to a certain task.
Giving - To present voluntarily without expecting something in return.
Respect - Esteem for, or a sense of the worth or excellence of, oneself and others.
Spirituality - A sense of awe, reverence, and inner peace inspired by a connection to all of creation and/or that which is greater than oneself.
It is these six principals that drove Muhammad Ali well beyond the boxing ring and into social activism and community awareness. These principals are also behind the mission of the Muhammad Ali Center: a multicultural center with an award-winning, interactive museum dedicated to the life of a great athlete but also promoting the principals behind this iconic figure in an attempt to inspire people from all walks of life to reach for and expand the very ends of their own potential.
A visit to the Muhammad Ali Center is a visit into the heart of one of America's greatest champions.
