The Man that Was Muhammad Ali

Eleanor Roosevelt once quoted “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Most people look at those kinds of quotes and similar to me, laugh at it because we realize that following your dream will lead you to a high percentage of failure in life. Famous people and programs such as Disney channel, tell us to follow our dreams and never quit. Most of the time, we refuse to listen by switching the channel or just turning off the TV. Although, Muhammad Ali was different. He challenged himself. He didn’t switch the channel or refused to hear it. Instead, he didn’t give up his dream that later on rewarded him with becoming the best boxer in the world. Unlike us, he had huge objects blocking his path in the time he was trying to become the best boxer in the world such as discrimination and segregation. But, like a best boxer does, he never gave up and gave boxing his fullest.

Muhammad Ali was born in the segregated southern city of Louisville, Kentucky. Although his name is Muhammad Ali, the name he was first born with was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. His name became Muhammad Ali when he converted to the Islamic religion. He also changed his name because Cassius Clay was a slave name. It all started when boxing took over Ali’s life when at the age of twelve, his new Schwinn bike was stolen from outside a convention center. Burning up with anger, Ali reported it to policed officer Joe Martin, who was also a boxing coach at the Columbia Gym. When Muhammad Ali explained that he wanted to beat up the kids who stole his bike, Joe Martin told him that he had to learn how to fight first. Because of this coincidence, Ali started to box in determination to stand up against the kids who stole his bike and also because ...

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...cause he chased after it. Muhammad Ali once quoted “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” Unlike us, he did not turn off the TV but instead decided to take the challenge. That is why Muhammad Ali is the best boxer in the world.

Muhammad Ali was a man of his own. Because of his boxing career, not only did it change his life, but it also changed the life of others. It proved segregation and discrimination wrong and also proved to people that following your dream is possible if you try. It is like a day before a test. If you don’t study and give up, then you will fail but if you study hard and have determination to get an A on the test, then you will succeed. Similar to Muhammad Ali, he never gave up his dreams because he wanted to do what he wanted to do. That is why Muhammad Ali’s gloves and robes were so iconic and important to American history.