In 1954, 12-year-old Cassius Marcellus Clay’s bike was stolen. Boiling with youthful rage, young Cassius found police officer, Joe Martin, and told him he was going to “whup” whoever stole his bike. Martin admonished, “You better learn to box first.” Within weeks, Cassius had his first bout, and his first win.

For the next 27 years, Muhammad Ali would be in that ring bringing unprecedented speed and grace to his sport while his charm and wit changed forever what we expect a champion to be. His accomplishments in the ring were the stuff of legend – two fights with Sonny Liston, where he proclaimed himself “The Greatest”; three epic wars with Joe Frazier; the stunning victory over George Foreman in Zaire; and dethroning Leon Spinks to become the heavyweight champion for an unprecedented third time.

Fifty years after he burst upon the scene as a gold-medal winner at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Muhammad Ali remains a magical figure known and loved throughout the world. But there was always far more to Muhammad Ali than what took place in a boxing ring.

Championing the causes of the developing world is a major focus of Muhammad’s life. Traveling across continents, he has hand-delivered food and medical supplies to such needy sites as the Harapan Kita Hospital for Children in Jakarta, Indonesia; the street children of Morocco; and Sister Beltran’s orphanage for Liberian refugees on the Ivory Coast, to name just a few.

At home, he has visited countless numbers of soup kitchens and hospitals. He has helped such organizations as the Chicago-based adoption agency, The Cradle; the Make-A-Wish-Foundation; the Special Olympics’ organization Best Buddies; Herbert E. Birch services, an organization that runs a school for handicapped children and young adults and a summer camp for children infected with AIDS; and Celebrity Fight Night which generates funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.

Muhammad has been the recipient of countless awards. In addition to being honored by Amnesty International with their “Lifetime Achievement Award,” the Secretary-General of the United Nations bestowed him with a citation as “United Nations Messenger of Peace.” He was also named the “International Ambassador of Jubilee 2000,” a global organization dedicated to relieving debt in developing nations. Former President, Jimmy Carter has called Muhammad “Mr. International Friendship” and, in 2005, Muhammad was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Muhammad and his wife Lonnie have been married 24 years. Together their mission is to bring tolerance and understanding among diverse people, communities, and nations. The Muhammad Ali Center opened in Louisville, Kentucky in 2005. The Center serves as an international education, cultural and communications center that is inspired by the ideals of Muhammad and Lonnie Ali.