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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Ali: Nothing Has Defeated Me

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(Newser) – When NPR asked Muhammad Ali to weigh in for its “This I Believe” series, the boxing legend’s response was simple. “I have always believed in myself,” he said, in an essay read on the air by his wife, Lonnie. “And I still do.” Ali credits his supreme self-confidence with taking him to the top. “My will was stronger than their skills,” he says of his boxing opponents. Now, that same belief helps him cope with his greatest nemesis of all—Parkinson’s disease.

“If there was anything that would strike at the core of my confidence in myself, it would be this insidious disease,” he writes. “But my confidence and will to live life as I choose won’t be compromised. … Nothing in life has defeated me. I am still the ‘Greatest.’”

Cassius Clay holds up five fingers in a prediction of how many rounds it will take him to knock out British boxer Henry Cooper, May 27, 1963.
Cassius Clay holds up five fingers in a prediction of how many rounds it will take him to knock out British boxer Henry Cooper, May 27, 1963.   (Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali and wife Lonnie are seen on stage at the 40th NAACP Image Awards on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, in Los Angeles.
Muhammad Ali and wife Lonnie are seen on stage at the 40th NAACP Image Awards on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
In this Sept. 24, 2008, file photo, Muhammad Ali watches from the audience during the opening plenary of the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York.
In this Sept. 24, 2008, file photo, Muhammad Ali watches from the audience during the opening plenary of the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York.   (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, file)
Cassius Clay fighting Henry Cooper at Wembley in this June 18, 1963 photo.
Cassius Clay fighting Henry Cooper at Wembley in this June 18, 1963 photo.   (Getty Images)
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4 comments
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vendetta
Apr 7, 09 2:46 PM CDT
I dont care, you are a draft dodger. Everything you say is worthless. Reply
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TerrifiedCitizen
Apr 7, 09 5:47 PM CDT
Quite a man with an iron will. Sometimes tediously cocky; but always true to his personal ideals. Reply
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SPH
Apr 7, 09 7:48 PM CDT
If taking multiple blows to your head for the entertainment of others regardless that you are left as driveling invalid, then Cassies Cley (sic) is right..... Reply
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oldgoat
Apr 8, 09 5:24 AM CDT
Draft Dodger? Seems like to me he stood up for his beliefs and paid the price. At least he was't like say Cheney that had better things to do than the military or several others from the right including the great loud mouth Rush. Reply
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