Former NBC commentator Bob Costa once commented: “Here’s a guy who was once the most alive of men – the most dynamic and beautiful athlete we’d ever known.” Costa didn’t hesitate to advance, saying,”His lighting that torch said something about the human spirit.”
These same praises point to the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammed Ali, who brought tears to the eyes of many observers when they they saw Ali holding the torch with trembling hands and slowly ascending the stairs enthralling a worldwide television audience estimated at 3.5 billion when he lit the flame to open the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
Less known to many, the identity of the final torch bearer is traditionally kept secret. That’s why former US President William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton stopped Ali just before Ali left the stadium and placed his hands on the champ’s shoulders and said, “They didn’t tell me who would light the flame, but when I saw it was you, I cried.”
Even the crippling effects of Parkinson’s that has inflicted Ali for years, his stature remains a breathtaking sight to billions of his fans all because of what he has done outside of boxing.
The best thing about Ali is that his honesty and fiery convictions about spiritual, social and political issues are remarkable. Even to this day, younger generations still look up to him.
