Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila gets UAE fighting fit

Abu Dhabi: Women from across Abu Dhabi can rejoice as they celebrate International Women’s Day with masterclasses conducted by four-time world boxing champion and daughter of the legendary Muhammad Ali, Laila Ali.

She will be offering a zumba masterclass, followed by a body combat session at Al Bateen Secondary School. Attendees will also have time to chat with Ali, who won all 24 of her super-middleweight bouts (21 by knockout), in an open session between both classes.

Her visit to the capital also marks her work to promote healthy living and fight diabetes. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the General Women’s Union in Abu Dhabi, Ali expressed enthusiasm about being here.

“A lot of what I do is trying to inspire people to be healthy,” she said, adding that it takes a shift in lifestyle for a person to become consistently fit.

“We know what to do [to get fit]. It’s just about motivating ourselves to do it.”

In her efforts to promote healthy living in the UAE, Ali also paid a special visit to students at Zayed University on Wednesday to speak to them about the issue. She stressed that this is particularly significant nowadays as technology is providing easier access to all one needed to get fit.

The health and wellness expert, who has written a book entitled Reach! Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power, said she was impressed by the Emirati women she met at the university. She described them as “smart, strong, and ambitious”.

“The more I travel, the more I realise how more alike we are than different. We might be different culturally, but we are alike in spirit,” she said.

Despite her accomplishments, Laila admitted she “still [doesn’t] feel fulfilled.” The celebrated boxing champion said it was becoming a mother that made her the proudest and that she hopes to raise children who can carry the Ali name by giving more than they receive.

Ali has already retired from boxing but said she would be willing to box again for charity.

She also announced that she might be appearing in films.

“You might see me doing more [films] but I don’t want to be the love interest or the sexy girl; I want to be someone inspirational,” she said.

Apart from promoting healthy living, Ali has her own spice and seasoning line. She endorses a number of brands relating to fitness and takes time to speak at conferences and schools about fitness.

Ali said her parents Muhammad and Veronica’s influence had been telling in her own career.

“It’s immeasurable how much I’ve been influenced by my father. My mother is also a strong woman, so I got lucky with my parents because you don’t get to choose your parents,” she said. “I had big shoes to fill.”

She added that she would like to “continue [my father’s] legacy by having the same positive impact he had on people.”

Laila said her father was doing well despite having Parkinson’s disease. She denied rumours about him being close to death.

“I am so proud of [my father] because even with his disease, he still does his best to try and help and encourage people. Every six months or so, a report comes out about him being near death.”