Muhammed Ali was the most famous person on Earth with leaders across the world providing eulogies. But he was human too. He fought too long and the Parkinson's probably came from being pummeled in the last few fights. Imagine the suffering from this sad disease, something which affects one through the day and night. Imagine too living with the knowledge that you could have prevented your own illness, it was not due to fate or luck but your own choices. And this was not unexpected because he himself talked about the poor performance of other fighters in the their later years.

But Ali marshalled his tremendous fortitude, and his later life became quite important. He raised millions for Parkinson and was a good-will ambassador for other causes. He promoted religious understanding and harmony. For those here, thinking about Ali's ability to confront life's challenges should be inspiring.