Born January 17, 1942, in Louisville Kentucky

Personal Success Definition

I define success as someone who pursues their passions regardless of what they are told or the obstacles they may face.

I believe Muhammad Ali was a successful person because he followed his passion for boxing even after he was systematically denied a boxing license and stripped of his passport for refusing to fight in the Vietnam war, due to his own beliefs.

Skills for Success

Ali was a boxer, an actor, and a poet. He is known as one of the greatest boxers of all time. He started his training at 12 and went on to win a gold medal at the age of 18 in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He also made appearances in various movies and TV episodes, such as Requiem for a Heavyweight or his own autobiographical movie The Greatest. He is also known for his use of poetry, either when trash-talking or during his activism outside of boxing.

How They Used These Skills

Explain how did they use these skills to achieve success?

Challenges Overcome

On his journey to success, Muhammad Ali had to overcome the challenge of racism he faced and the hate he got from winning against white men. Ali was quoted as saying “I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.”^[154]  Despite the amount of hate he faced, he still managed to become one of the most notable boxers in all of history.

Significant Work

This famous photo is from Ali’s rematch with Sonny Liston. The photo was taken after Ali had knocked Liston out with the “Phantom Punch”.