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I was just watching TV3 6 o'clock news (in New Zealand), and of course, Ali is the top story.
They interviewed a Wellington (bottom of the North Island in New Zealand) based boxing gym owner - who met Ali during one of his promotional tours decades ago. The Gym owner, just recently, flew two of his young guys over to see Ali and shake hands with the great man. Ali tried to sign a punching mitt to take back to their Gym but, due to his Parkinson's, couldn't write without shaking profusely.
That night, after everyone had gone, and Ali's medication had kicked in to make him steady enough, he signed a mitt - and sent it on a courier the next day, all the way to New Zealand from the US.
Ali wasn't perfect, far from it. However, it was the small things that made this man great. People can do grand things on the grandest stages, but every small token added up to Ali transcending beyond sport itself.
They interviewed a Wellington (bottom of the North Island in New Zealand) based boxing gym owner - who met Ali during one of his promotional tours decades ago. The Gym owner, just recently, flew two of his young guys over to see Ali and shake hands with the great man. Ali tried to sign a punching mitt to take back to their Gym but, due to his Parkinson's, couldn't write without shaking profusely.
That night, after everyone had gone, and Ali's medication had kicked in to make him steady enough, he signed a mitt - and sent it on a courier the next day, all the way to New Zealand from the US.
Ali wasn't perfect, far from it. However, it was the small things that made this man great. People can do grand things on the grandest stages, but every small token added up to Ali transcending beyond sport itself.
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