Muhammad Ali Center

I’ve been to a lot of places in the past few years, traveling with work. I work in sales, selling alarms door-to-door and since the company targets different cities each year, it allowed me the opportunity to see many different cities coast to coast, from San Francisco to Philly. Whether it is for work or for leisure, each city offered its own unique experience and while each had its own attractions, the Muhammad Ali Center in the heart of downtown Louisville, KY left a big impression on me.

Like most great things in life, it was a semi-chance encounter that Ali and I had our meeting. It was a Sunday afternoon, I had the day off and my girl and I were looking to get out of the apartment, experience something new and positive.  We reduced our list of possibilities to the Ali center and the Louisville Slugger Museum….Ali dropped the Slugger Museum early and we shadow boxed to the car. 

We drove 15 minutes downtown to a thin city community- there’s never much traffic downtown on a Sunday afternoon unless a ball game is on. We parked, didn’t have to pay the meter and walked to the museum. I have to admit- I was pretty excited to check out the center. I’d heard of Ali. He was nasty in the ring and who wouldn’t want to see some boxing classics or maybe get a few motivational quotes?  I wasn’t thinking too much of it though.

The entrance was empty except for a greeter.  Banners hung from the ceilings, pictures on the walls, it looked like a typical place to visit.  It was well kept and smelled like a new school.  We walked toward the greeter taking notice of the pictures and thinking to ourselves why the heck the place was so dead.  It was 3 on a Sunday afternoon but the center wasn’t showing much promise.  We talked with the greeter, a local college student, who gave us a rundown of the center along with a map and pointed at the escalators to start. 

We took his advice, rode the elevators up and waited for a few minutes to watch an introduction video.  There were maybe 10-15 people in our group, a few from different countries.  As we sat there I started reciting some of Ali’s more memorable moments and sayings.  “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” now show me some knockouts.  The video started and for the next 15 minutes mesmerized all of us fortunate to view it.  A broad overview of Muhammad Ali’s life unfolded, focusing on his six principles. 1. Respect 2.confidence 3.conviction 4.dedication 5.giving 6.spirituality.  It was prepping us for a hand on experience in the life of Muhammad Ali. 

After the video I was hyped, ready to watch more knockouts but I also kept in mind the other things the video went over.  The issues and events Ali partook in out of the ring; civil rights, religion, traveling and giving back to the people.  The less talked about events in Ali’s life.  But it is these events that connect Ali to the people no matter how much you enjoy boxing.  If you appreciate good people and positive actions in whatever your interest, you will enjoy the Ali center. 

I couldn’t help but question, is this the same Ali who made outrageous claims of pummeling opponents and making them look silly? How big were these other topics in Ali’s life and what was attracting people from different countries, ideals, and cultures to connect with a boxing legend. 

We filed out of the theater and started along the path of learning about one of the greatest boxers and human beings the 20th century has seen.  The center unfolded in a timeline fashion and showed me why Ali is the most recognizable athlete on earth, starting from his childhood.

Many people talk of Ali as a boxer, but there are things he’s achieved far greater out of the ring and it is these things I learned at the Muhammad Ali center that had the biggest impression on me.  As Ali develops throughout the center, you fall into the timeline experiencing Ali’s life through all senses, getting a better understanding, and almost becoming Ali.  The center allows you to grow up in rural Louisville with Ali using pictures, stories, quotes, videos, and reenactments.  In another area you can box your way to Olympic gold medal and heavy weight champ by hitting the speed bag, heavy bag, or shadow boxing with the quick paced Ali.  The center does a great job displaying Ali through many mediums pictures, quotes, videos, physically interactive, audio so you can get a feel for Ali at all ages.  The issues and events that stood out to me the most were Ali’s involvement in religion early in life by reading the bible daily, unwavering self confidence through school vocalized by his seemingly outrageous claims of being the best and shadow boxing through his school hallways, standing up for his belief in military involvement during the Vietnam war and civil rights issues that were already a hot issue at the time, and his charities and involvement in Africa and around the world later in life to give his time and money back to the people and encourage others to do the same.  It is estimated he has helped to provide 22 million meals to feed the hungry. As his life proceeds, you start to realize who Muhammad Ali is as a person, not necessarily just a boxer.

 Many people can remember Ali vs. Frasier but the greatest attribute of Ali is his ability to utilize his success in boxing as a means to make a difference around the world.  Ali’s actions beyond boxing have positively impacted our global society and he continues to leave the world a better place than when he entered.  It is these actions, allowed through boxing, which make Ali great in my eyes.   Learning about a great man through the center gave me the utmost respect for him for all of his achievements in and out of the ring.  The things he was able to achieve inspire any warm body who takes the time to reflect on Ali's significance.  Realizing his achievements and feats at such extremes inspires you throughout the center to parallel his achievements to your own and allow you to analyze how you too can make a difference.  People often go to seminars or landmarks, paying a pretty penny, to experience the feeling you get from this place.  Each age has its own incredible stories for people of all ages to connect with and the stories are themselves unbelievable.  The center connects you with a man who was able to do great things even in the face of adversity and that’s inspiring.  

So why visit the Ali center?  Instead of idly sitting around watching TV or going to a baseball museum in Louisville, spend your time wisely and accompany X people who make the trip annually no matter the obstacle of getting there.  People from X countries have visited the center since X.  Invest in yourself.    Sometimes we needed to take a step back and see the bigger picture.  Great things have been done; they are going to be done again.  The Muhammad Ali Center is a diamond in the rough. Its ability to connect you with greatness as effectively as it does, through the use of multiple mediums and learning strategies, makes this a must visit for anyone looking to better themselves.  How can you do something great?  It may not be evident yet but there’s an Ali in everyone of us.  Visit the Ali center and decide for yourself!