"I Am Still The Greatest" by Muhammad Ali

     In his essay “I Am Still The Greatest” by Muhammed Ali, with help of his wife Lonnie Ali and their family, due to the late stage symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, he describes the confidence and pride that was instilled in him and his brother as young children by their parents. This confidence carried into high school where he predicted his Olympic gold medal and world heavyweight championship in boxing. Muhammed Ali’s stated his will was tested more after retirement with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease than it had been tested in any of his boxing matches. He described the lighting of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games cauldron in Atlanta. He advised with the Olympic torch raised high above his head, the tremors of Parkinson’s disease took over his body. At that moment he heard the deafening applause of the stadium, he remembered his past Olympic accomplishment and that “Nothing in life defeated me. I am still the greatest.” The qualities instilled in him as a child, carried him through his life, bringing him full circle.