Ihavealwaysbelievedinmyself,evenasachildgrowingupinLouisville,Kentucky.Inhighschool,I_1_saidthatonedayIwasgoingtobetheheavyweightchampionoftheworld.Aspartofmyboxing_2_,IwouldrundownFourthStreetindowntown
Ihavealwaysbelievedinmyself,evenasachildgrowingupinLouisville,Kentucky.Inhighschool,I_1_saidthatonedayIwasgoingtobetheheavyweightchampionoftheworld.Aspartofmyboxing_2_,IwouldrundownFourthStreetindowntownLouisville,stoppingintodifferentshopsto_3_themIwastrainingfortheOlympicsandIwasgoingto_4_agoldmedal.Ineverthoughtofthe_5_offailing.Icouldseemy_6_infrontofme.WhenIsaidthatIwasthe“GreatestofAllTime,”I_7_myself.AndIstilldo.
_8_myentireboxingcareer,mywillwasalways_9_thanmyopponents’skills.WhatIdidn’tknowwasthatmywillwouldbe_10_evenmorewhenIretired.
In1984,IfoundoutthatIhadParkinson’sdisease.Sincethen,mysymptomshave_11_andit’sbecomeharderandharderformetospeak._12_myconfidenceandwillto_13_tolivelifeasIchoosewon’tbecompromised.
Earlyin1996,Iwasaskedtolightthe_14_attheSummerOlympicGamesinAtlanta.Ofcoursemy_15_answerwasyes.Inevereventhoughtofanyphysical_16_thiswouldpresentforme.
WhenthemomentcameformetotakethetorchfromJanetEvans,IrealizedIhadthe_17_oftheworldonme.IalsorealizedthatasIheldtheOlympictorchhighabovemyhead,myshaking(fromParkinson’sdisease)had_18_.Rightatthatmoment,Ihearddeafeningapplausefromthe_19_.Iwasremindedofmy1960OlympicexperienceinRome,whenIwonthegoldmedal.Those36year