Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali’s 77th birth anniversary was celebrated on January 17, Thursday.
Muhammad Ali is considered to be the greatest heavyweight boxer in the history of the sport as he fought 61 fights in his lifetime and won 56 of them, remaining largely unbeatable. He was known for his undeniable athleticism and swagger.
He passed away at the age of 74 in on June 3, 2016, from septic shock.
On the occasion of his birth anniversary, here, in no particular order, are 20 quotes of the legendary boxer:
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
“Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.”
“I’m not the greatest, I’m the double greatest.”
“I’ve wrestled with alligators. I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning. And throw thunder in jail.”
“At home I am a nice guy: but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.”
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”
“A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
“Braggin’ is when a person says something and can’t do it. I do what I say.”
“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”
“I’m young; I’m handsome; I’m fast. I can’t possibly be beat.”
“Don’t count the days; make the days count.”
“Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
“If my mind can conceive it, if my heart can believe it–then I can achieve it.”
“I shook up the world. Me!”
“I don’t count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count.”
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”
“Friendship … is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.”
“I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”