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Muhammad Ali Research Paper

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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, …show more content…

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.”

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