Kassim Ouma Profile: "I've lost track how many people I've killed."

[Miburo]

Posted this in NSB, but it may be of greater interest and receive more coherent responses from my fellow boxing historians

This man has had it worse than anyone in the history of the sport born in the worst inner city ghetto or otherwise.

[Real King Kong]

there's a documentary movie about him called "kassim the dream"....always meant to check that out.

[NChristo]

Thanks for posting this, first time I've seen it.

Hard to believe how he got as far as he did with a background like that.

[Miburo]

“No matter how happy he seems at any given moment, the sadness he feels never goes away,” Moran said. “We were at the gym a couple of weeks ago and someone asked if he was going to watch the documentary on child soldiers in Uganda that was going to be on the Discovery Channel. Kassim’s demeanor changed, just like that. `I lived it,’ he said. `I don’t have to watch it.’

“The thing is, Kassim has to learn to realize that he was a victim then and he’s a victim now. He has to learn to let go of the guilt for the decisions he had to make in order to survive. I really believe he has massive issues of post-traumatic stress that he’s dealt with as best he could. But the memories are never far from the surface, and almost anything can dredge those memories up."

[Miburo]

Thanks for posting this, first time I've seen it.

Hard to believe how he got as far as he did with a background like that.

In a way it's not surprising he got as far as he did. When you've lived your entire life doing literally anything to survive it's going to be much easier to give your all to accomplish something to escape from that hell. Additionally that relaxed demeanor he displayed in the ring must be about as natural as breathing - while most people trump up the seriousness of how boxing is the only sport you can die in, for Ouma it's about as threatening as a stroll in the park.

[NChristo]

In a way it's not surprising he got as far as he did. When you've lived your entire life doing literally anything to survive it's going to be much easier to give your all to accomplish something to escape from that hell. Additionally that relaxed demeanor he displayed in the ring must be about as natural as breathing - while most people trump up the seriousness of how boxing is the only sport you can die in, for Ouma it's about as threatening as a stroll in the park.

Could of worded it better, it's hard to believe that he managed to get into boxing and miraculously escape from his life in Uganda despite of how hard it was and the consequences of leaving, all of his friends never to be seen again or dead yet he still leads a somewhat happy life with a new family in America.

[check hook]

In a way it's not surprising he got as far as he did. When you've lived your entire life doing literally anything to survive it's going to be much easier to give your all to accomplish something to escape from that hell. Additionally that relaxed demeanor he displayed in the ring must be about as natural as breathing - while most people trump up the seriousness of how boxing is the only sport you can die in, for Ouma it's about as threatening as a stroll in the park.

so true.........

[Mr. Ryan]

Kassim is a great guy. I can tell that he has some issues dealing with his past. I feel bad knowing the kind of things that he has had to deal with in his past but it obviously still affects him. I don't think he can ever totally overcome these issues but I'm glad that he is in a good mental state right now.