My Dad and Muhammad Ali
It’s June! On the 21st, we honor our fathers. (Hopefully, we do that other days as well.) Jun 3 this year marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Muhammad Ali, a man my father revered, so I’d like to talk about Ali as well as my dad.
Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, and philanthropist, who has been ranked as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. One of Ali’s famous quotes is: “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.”
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Ali retired in 1981 as the only three-time heavyweight world champion. In 2005 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.
Daddy loved boxing matches and greatly admired the champions. I remember as a child going to the local beer garden with my parents and sister and brother to listen to each championship fight on the radio. We kids had fun in the back room sipping soda and playing games. Daddy was glued to the radio—he didn’t want to miss a word.
Even after I grew up and left home, Daddy was in awe of heavyweight champions, so imagine his excitement when Muhammad Ali walked into his shoemaker shop one day in 1972! Ali had just set up his training camp in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, a small hamlet near where we lived in Pottsville.
“I hear you’re the best shoemaker around and that you could put weights in my boots so I can strengthen my legs, and that you could do that for about fifty dollars,” Ali said to my father—in just those words. I know the exact words because the story has been told hundreds of times in our family.
“I no can do,” my father told him in his broken English while shaking his head from side to side. Yet he was so thrilled he could hardly contain his excitement.
“What?!” Ali exclaimed. “I was told you’re the best shoemaker in Pottsville. And you tell me you can’t put weights in my boots for about fifty dollars!”
“I no can do,” my father told him again. “I do for twenty-five dollars!”
And he did. Ali gave him fifty dollars anyway.
Muhammad Ali’s life was rewarding, yet often very difficult. My family is grateful that he gave Daddy a story he told proudly for the rest of his life.
Ellen Wood of Questa is an award-winning author as well as an artist using the name, Maruška. Her website is
www.howwtogrowyounger.com. Contact Ellen at ellen@howtogrowyounger.com.
