The idea of a hero has always been something of great importance to my upbringing.
Although my biggest role models are my parents, they always stressed the idea of having positive role models and people to emulate and look up too, whether it be a coach who shows me the importance of leadership and team building, or a teacher who shows me the importance of remaining focused and the importance of education. Overall it is crucial to have these sort of people in one’s life.
Another type of role model is someone that the person does not know personally, but still looks up to greatly. One of these people for me was a man by the name of Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. better known by the name Muhammad Ali. Cassius was born was born in Louisville, Kentucky,
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who was a billboard and sign painter and his mother Odessa Grady Clay who was a household domestic. Growing up in this time, Cassius and his family faced a great deal of racism and prejudice because, at this time, African Americans were still regarded at a very low level in societal position. Throughout his life, Cassius became more and more passionate on the issue of racial prejudice and became very vocal about this issue. A large part in Cassius life and ultimately, his rise to fame was his boxing career, which started with humble beginnings When Cassius Clay was twelve, his bike was stolen. That led him to take up boxing with the help of a Louisville policeman named Joe Martin. Clay advanced through the amateur ranks at a staggering pace, winning a gold medal at the age of eighteen at the 1960 Olympics in Rome” (Gilder Lehrman) Thought his career, he reached the ranks of heavy weight world champion shortly after Cassius announced …show more content…
He continues to be an inspiration for many athletes because of his inspiring qualities of never getting down on himself after a loss instead he would come back twice as hard he quoted "I never thought of losing, but now that it's happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life." This attitude continues to inspire many. Thomas Hauser stating “More than anyone else of his generation, Muhammad Ali belongs to the world. He encouraged millions of people to believe in themselves, raise their aspirations, and accomplish things that might not have been done without him. He wasn’t just a standard-bearer for black Americans. He stood up for everyone.”
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. later known as Muhammad Ali, was a black boxer, and was proud of it. Many African Americans were ashamed of their color, but Ali was different. He was the first boxer to win the Heavyweight Championship 3 different times. He had a great personality and was liked by the people. During his life, he made big decisions that changed the course of his life completely. Muhammad Ali's journey through life was a great inspiration for African American people, but Ali himself deserves the admiration of everyone.
Muhammad Ali, originally known as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. At an early age Ali showed that he was not afraid of any fight or bout. He grew up in the segregated South, and experienced a lot of racial prejudice and discrimination. When Ali was
Muhammad Ali, aka “The Greatest of All Time”, aka “The People’s Champion” and aka “The Louisville Lip”, is one of four athletes who graces my sports Mount Rushmore, a place reserved for athletes considered bigger than the sport they participated in. The other three include Babe Ruth, Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan. Each of their faces can be carved in that mountain, because we’ll likely never see anyone like them again. Whether you respect his wishes and refer to him as Muhammad Ali, or don’t and take the “His momma named him Clay, I’mma him Clay” approach from Coming to America and call him Cassius Clay, there’s no denying that he influenced a myriad of athletes after making his mark on the world.
Overall, Cassius Clay was not only a heavyweight champion, he was a leader who wanted to do everything right. He was a role model to both blacks and some whites. Ali grew up in the segregated south, and racism led him to the join the National of Islam. After refusing induction in the Army, Ali took a stand appealed to the Supreme Court, although he was imprisoned for five years, stripped from his heavyweight title and was fined $10,000. Ali took a stand to fight for what is right not
Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Mercellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Cassius
He has inspired so many of today’s boxers to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,”(history.com) as Ali said. But Muhammad Ali did not only inspire boxers, he inspired the world. Other than boxing, he has been awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2005 and was the United Nations Messenger of Peace in Afghanistan in 2002. Still today Muhammad Ali is inspiring many people in our nation to bring peace and unite us all. In conclusion, Muhammad Ali was a professional boxer who brought peace to all and impacted the sports industry for a
Winning the heavyweight boxing championship many times and an olympic medal, Muhammad Ali, proved to the world that he really was the greatest. After having his bike stolen at 12, Ali began training in boxing for revenge with cop he complained to, going on to win many novice tournaments. Honing his craft and utilizing his stature Ali, with his quick feet went to the Olympics for America in 1960 and came on bearing a gold medal, when trouble reared its head. Ali, converted to Islam with the radical Black Muslims, refused to fight against the “Viet Cong” and was arrested, and was suspended from his sport for 3 years. However, Ali, came back to sport in the 70’s but took a loss before his big “Rumble in the Jungle” and “Thrilla in Manila”, but
Muhammad Ali, previously known as Cassius Clay is a world champion elite boxer who is was known for his speed, agility, power and his might. He was known for his way of words and his willingness to talk about topics most athletes in America wouldn’t even stumble over. He fought the greatest to become the greatest and anyone that dare stepped in the ring with him never saw his fist coming. But what happens when a hero’s power is taken from them? What happened to Ali when his gloves were taken off due to standing for what he believed in?
He met and fought opponents from around the world. He would tell them that he was the greatest boxer of all time. They all had different styles, but Cassius was lightning fast on his feet. He earned the right to brag as he defeated every opponent and earned the right to fight for the gold medal against the Polish champion, Zbigniew “Ziggy” Pietrzykowski, and this fight was one of his most challenging, Cassius had never fought a left handed boxer. After a hard fought battle against the polish champion, Cassius Clay became the Olympic champion.
Olympic boxer and activist Cassius Clay was born January 17th, 1952. Cassius was a shy kid, his early childhood years were not particularly eventful. Most fighters grew up as the playground bully, but not Cassius Clay, he was just a
Leonardo Marques Ms. Bryan Grammar and Composition Period 3 22 Novemberf 2016 Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali’s impact from his denial of the draft was that he respected his religion, he regained his title back, he showed how African Americans can do great things during times of segregation. “I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want (Muhammad Ali).”
Ali began turning heads as people were highly intrigued by the young boxer’s unorthodox fighting style and bold persona. Six weeks after entering Martin’s gym, the 89-pound boy one his first fight by split decision in his debut. One observer reported that “Cassius Clay (Ali) boxed like no else. He was fast.
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. From a young age, Cassius made it clear that he was not afraid of fighting. This showed when his bike was stolen at the age of twelve and he told the police officer that he wanted to fight the guy who stole it. Coincidentally, the police officer
Muhammad Ali did a lot of important things in American History. He was a famous boxer also a arch believer of religious freedom and racial justice. Ali’s original name was Cassius Clay. He was born January 17,1942 in Louisville, KY. Muhammad Ali devoted his life to humanitarian in work, putting his name to many initiatives for peace and humanitarian aid. Ali was also a part of Black History.
Cassius clay, one of the world’s most distinguished boxers, was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 7, 1942. Clays work ethic was apparent even in the early years of his life. As a child, he raced the school bus to school each morning. His friends would wave to him as the lead fluctuated based on the school bus’ stops. This work ethic extended to the classroom. Because of a learning disability, Clay had to work extra hard in school to not fall behind. Clay grew up with racial segregation all around him. These injustices sparked a passion in him to change the way people viewed African Americans: “I wanted to show that color didn’t matter”(Muhammad Ali: An American Legend). Clay’s boxing career began because of an incident when he was 12 years old. He and a friend rode their bikes to the Columbia Auditorium for The Louisville Home Show. When they were ready to go home, Clay discovered that his bike was stolen. Filled with rage, Clay wanted to retaliate. He found police officer, Joe Martin, who told him, “You better learn how to fight before you start challenging people that you’re gonna whoop” (Hauser 18). Martin became his coach, and although Clay never found the thief, he found a love of boxing that would continue throughout his life. Between the ages of 12 and 18, Clay