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Zusatztext “If you thought you knew about the life of Muhammad Ali! think again. His best friend—unknown until now to all but Ali’s closest insiders and family members—gives us new insight into Ali’s thoughts! hopes! dreams and fears. Awesome!” Informationen zum Autor Tim Shanahan has been a close and trusted friend of Muhammad Ali and his family for nearly forty years. He retired in 2013 as regional sales manager covering five Western states for a medical products company. Running with the Champ is his first book. Klappentext The ?affectionate...charming? ( Kirkus Reviews ) story of Tim Shanahan's remarkable and little-known forty-year friendship with boxing legend Muhammad Ali, filled with stories never told as well as never-before-published personal photos.In 1975, Tim Shanahan was a medical instruments salesman living in Chicago and working with a charity that arranged for pro athletes to speak to underprivileged kids. Muhammad Ali had just reclaimed his title as heavyweight champion of the world by defeating George Foreman (the ?Rumble in the Jungle?) and then successfully defended it in a rematch against Joe Frazier (the ?Thrilla in Manila?). When Shanahan learned Ali was planning a move to Chicago, he contacted the Champ to ask whether he would participate in the charity program. Not only did Ali agree, he invited Shanahan to his new home, where the two spent a night talking, laughing, and bonding over bowls of ice cream?the beginning of an incredible friendship. Ali soon enlisted Shanahan as his early morning running partner. Quickly, Shanahan became a trusted confidant and travel companion, and Ali often stunned strangers by introducing Shanahan as his cousin. The two grew even closer over family dinners with Shanahan's wife, Helga, and Ali's wife, Veronica. Shanahan was with Ali as the Champ trained for his legendary battles with Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks, and Larry Holmes, and moved to Los Angeles with Ali when the Champ prepared for a life after boxing. Shanahan was a recipient of and witness to Ali's tremendous generosity, and as Ali's health began to deteriorate, Shanahan had a chance to return the favor, encouraging and comforting his ailing friend. Running with the Champ is an insightful personal portrait of the Greatest of All Time. But, above all, it is a touching, candid narrative of an extraordinary friendship that continued until Ali's death.Running with the Champ ONE BACK TO PARADISE October 2013 AS I DROVE THROUGH THE security gates and into the community of luxury homes in Paradise Valley, Arizona, some very familiar feelings began to surge up once again. After all these years—nearly forty—those feelings hadn’t ever really gone away. Steering the car toward a home back by the communal tennis courts, I thought about all that had been packed into those four decades: ups and downs, laughter and tears, one-of-a-kind moments and incredible adventures. The years could be measured in mansions and penthouse suites, Rolls-Royces and private jets, Hollywood encounters and Las Vegas events. But they could also be measured in quieter moments: morning runs, family dinners, late-night talks. Mostly it had been close to forty years of love, trust, and the deepest friendship I’d ever known. I was here in Paradise Valley to visit my old friend Muhammad Ali. I pulled up in front of his home and couldn’t help smiling. After all this time, the thought of spending a day with Muhammad still filled me with happiness and excitement. I felt the warmth and the joy that anyone might feel at the prospect of spending precious hours with a loved one. Even after all we’d been through, I still felt that our friendship was an incredible honor and privilege. Back in 2005, Muhammad and his wife, Lonnie, pur...
