IN THE NEWS 
Muhammad Ali Center
Examiner.com (San Francisco, CA) March 27, 2010
By Sheila OConnor
Heading for Louisville, Kentucky? Then don’t miss out on Kentucky’s Museum Row in the main downtown district of Louisville and the Muhammad Ali Center. For those who are not particularly keen on boxing (this author included), know that there is much, much more than this sport in the museum.
The six-story high award-winning Center was built as a tribute to the champion and actually deals with Muhammad Ali’s five core values and his ideals.
At a cost of $80m, the center includes interactive exhibits, historical media footage, hands-on boxing fun (you can even “box” with a shadow boxer who feigns falling over with your first punch – nothing like a bit of success to make you feel you could be champ!) and two art galleries.
There’s a selection of tiles painted by children with the words HOPE written through them. This was a contribution by Angelina Jolie and is very touching.
Touching too are the five core values that Muhammad Ali highlights here, namely respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, spirituality and giving.
Take spirituality for instance. To get you in touch with your spiritual nature, you can simply chill out and lie in one of the meditation chairs and just contemplate.
You might contemplate, for example, Muhammad Ali’s return when he made an Olympic appearance and lit the torch. It was a sign that he was not going to let the Parkinson’s disease, that he now suffers from, stop him. That torch can be seen at the Center.
Muhammad Ali has been an inspiration to athletes and non-athletes alike and a visit to the Center is sure to leave you moved.
Here’s what MojoTraveler says about the Muhammad Ali Center:
“This is a MUST for anyone visiting Louisville and a reason in itself to go to Louisville. I'm not a fan of boxing, so almost didn't go to this, but it's not so much about sports as it is about inspiration and a human being remaking himself into something terrific. There is a great focus on ethnic and racial issues, respect of differences and conflict resolution."
"It's a great place to bring kids, but there are plenty of adults who need a good dose of what this center has to offer.”
The center is a source of inspiration that encourages every human to follow their potential and follow the greatness that lies deep within them.
There’s nobody else who comes to mind when we hear the expression, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” like the great champion himself who has given so much back with everything he has done.
You'll come away with a lot more than you went in with, after a visit here. The "fight" that we all go through, in many ways, is life. The question here, for boxer and non-boxer alike is, "is it a fight you decide to win?"
Don’t miss it.
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