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Laila Ali, the daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, had a difficult upbringing, but overcame it all to establish her worth.
She had a strong mentality and was well-prepared, which eventually led to her becoming one of the top female boxers in the sport.
She once shared a memory from her youth that shows the direction she took in her life.
While in conversation with Tom Bilyeu, Laila Ali mentioned how she used to use public transport called the RTD.
Her sister would never get on the bus and rather waited for her mom to drive her somewhere. She added she was Muhammad Ali’s daughter, but she didn’t mind using public transport.
Similar to her father, Laila never gave up and strutted her way towards excellence.
She also got inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. She retired from the sport in 2007 with an undefeated record of 24-0.
”The People’s Champion” is often regarded as the greatest boxer of all time. Even his daughter dreamed of becoming a boxer like her father, but Ali was against his daughter squaring off inside the ring.
The late athlete was once in conversation with Oprah Winfrey, where he mentioned his disregard for his daughter boxing.
Zimbabwe has its own fair share story of female boxer Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire who has literally been everything.
And she has been through everything.
The 27-year-old is riding on the crest of the wave after defending her World Boxing Council super bantamweight interim title at the Harare International Conference Centre a fortnight ago.
She subdued her challenger Zulina Munoz of Mexico via a Unanimous Points Decision. And she will charge for the WBC main belt next year.
For now, she will, for the first time in her life, enjoy the fruits of her sweat.
She earned a total of US$74 000 from the tight fight.
She also got a house and a vehicle pledge from the Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Tino Machakaire.
Yet Chiwandire could not have been a boxer in the first place.
This is a girl who has toiled all her life.
She dropped out of school after falling pregnant in 2013.
She lost the child a year later.
She has literally led a hand to mouth life.
Chiwandire was born in Mbare, Harare, where her parents rented a cottage before they moved to Highfield.
Her father Morris is proud and can’t believe his daughter has made it big in a sport that wasn’t her first love.
The Herald on Saturday Lifestyle caught up with the boxer who shared her story.
“My daughter has been through a lot,” he said. “She couldn’t see off her studies after falling pregnant. She had been a vendor for the better part of her school life. We survived through vending, so she became one by default.
“She would become a full timer after she lost her child. We stood by her knowing she would find herself again.”
Then, the pugilist decided to venture into football.
She wasn’t a bad player.
Women Super League side Cyclone Queens was her home.
She played wing, but became impatient after being overlooked for the national team, The Mighty Warriors.
She decided to hang her boots because of the frustrations.
“That was my first pot of call in terms of sport,” Chiwandire says with a broad smile. “I loved the game and I played alongside several other players who went on to make a name for themselves.
“But I was frustrated on being left out of the Mighty Warriors squad. It turned me off and I decided to opt for karate.”
Chiwandire must have been a natural martial artist.
She used to fight against boys while growing up on the streets of Mbare and Highfield.
Often she emerged the winner, but not because she was a bully.
“I only entered into fights to protect my brother,” said Chiwandire.
She did not take long before she mastered kyokushin and inside a short period, she was winning international accolades.
But the fame she was getting was never accompanied with fortune.
“I was doing martial arts at a time I was also married to a man who loved the game,” she said.
“He would wake me up at 4am, we would run and carry out taxing drills until I was convinced I had become perfect.
“I went for tournaments in South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia, among other countries. I would always come out tops. But my life never changed. It’s something that pained me a lot. I was into sports to enjoy it and earn a living out of it.
“But I never really got a huge pay cheque. It was always difficult to do something with the little I got.”
During the same period, Chiwandire briefly became a hairdresser as she battled to make ends meet.
While doing kyokushin, Chiwandire met Clyde Musonda, a boxing coach and promoter of note.
Musonda picked potential on her and decided to lure her to the ring.
“I was like, Chiwandire, you have so much potential you can become a big boxer,” said Musonda.
“She didn’t believe me at first, but she agreed to give it a try. She managed to grasp the concept and before long, she turned professional.”
And what a journey!
Chiwandire is blessed with three children, Morris, Moleen and Mercy.
Online Reporter