- Muhammad Ali was a boxing legend
- He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
- His fight inspired millions
In the end, his greatest fight was with the disease that had dogged the last three decades of his life. Many doctors believe the disease was most likely to have been caused by the thousands of punches he took during a career that saw him become the first person to win the heavyweight championship three times.
Muhammad's legacy beyond the ring...
He helped establish the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix and became the face of the neurological disease. The disease that gripped his body, slowed his speech and slurred his words made Ali a shell of the man whose athleticism in the 1960s saw him lionized around the world.
Also interesting:
He says he's not afraid of death
Ozzy Osbourne Says He Won't Be Around "That Much Longer" After Parkinson's Diagnosis
Overcoming challenges
Update: Michael J. Fox Shines Bright Despite Parkinson's Battle
Defying the odds
Michael J. Fox's Triumphant BAFTA Moment Amidst Parkinson's Battle
But his fighting spirit remained and was manifest when a badly trembling Ali lit the Olympic torch in 1996 in Atlanta...
