The last photo of Muhammad Ali, 2016
Born Cassius Clay, Ali is considered the most important athlete of the 20th century by many professionals and critics.
Known as "The Greatest," Ali would use boxing as his platform to advocate for civil rights and humanitarian issues and as a form of self-expression.
Despite being considered the best boxer of all time, Ali dealt with racism and discrimination his entire life. Here is a story about Ali that shows his dedication to his beliefs:
Ali had won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics boxing tournament at just 18 years old.
He returned to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where he was referred to with slurs by local newspapers.
Proud of his accomplishments, Ali went out one night to celebrate his victory while wearing his gold medal.
Upon entering a diner, Ali was refused service.
Enraged that the waitress would only recognize him for the color of his skin and not his character, Ali threw his medal into the Ohio River off a bridge. He did this as he felt that no matter what he achieved, he would never be judged for his character but for his physical features.
Ali had an incredible career, with 56 wins (37 knockouts) and 5 losses. Towards the end of his career, Ali showed signs of Parkinson's disease, which caused him to retire.
Ali was known for his unique boxing style, which consisted of movements such as the "Ali shuffle," which gave the impression that he was dancing.
He was not credited as a heavy hitter, but he was known for his dodging and agile abilities, which allowed him to dodge attacks to tire out his opponents, allowing Ali to be more aggressive.
Ali would go on to inspire millions of people around the world with his poetic commentary, wishful thinking, and generous attitude.
Photographer: Zenon Texeira
C/O 28 Springfield Ma
My farewell tour after this season I start a new chapter where everything I’ve done starts over. Then I prove to myself I can play at a high level in high school ! I want this more than people think !
@CentralFB413
One of the best athletes to ever come out of Springfield, former Commerce football and basketball star Mike Vaz, has died. He was 38 years old.
During his high school career, Vaz won the Angelo Bertelli award in football, along with the John Lahovich Award in basketball.
Former Springfield Central QB Will Watson III connects deep down field with Tucker Holloway for a touchdown during Virginia Tech’s spring game today 🎯.
https://t.co/fDRkAfNhP5
Today is @JuiceWa45's last day as Vice Principal at Springfield Central and as the football team's DB coach. He is joining the coaching staff at UMass.
Walker has been at Central for over a decade. The school put out a farewell video with him today.
https://t.co/cmJE0AsFqN
I’m too proud to see you kick it into 2nd gear. I was there when it first started to see this man make the most of every opportunity that came his way. Im appreciative to have shared my time as a Eagle under your wing and I know many more that would say the same. Love you unk
Today is @JuiceWa45's last day as Vice Principal at Springfield Central and as the football team's DB coach. He is joining the coaching staff at UMass.
Walker has been at Central for over a decade. The school put out a farewell video with him today.
https://t.co/cmJE0AsFqN