you never know that the person sitting
to your left and a person sitting to
your right and even you you don’t know
what they might have gone through today
or yesterday and maybe we look a little
tall because we’re standing firm but on
the inside sometimes we feel like this
because we feel like we have the great
weight of the world on our shoulder
we’re trying hard to study in school and
keep our grades up some of us are
dealing with issues maybe at home and so
what you did today for each other
you spoke life to each other so that you
can change your countenance because it
means a lot when you see your
countenance changes that someone says
something about you and it makes you
feel good so I hope today as you listen
to me that you’re able to sit down and
when you get comfortable in your chair
today I really hope you can sit a little
tall or push your chair your chest back
hold your head up and just feel a lot
more confident than probably you did
when you walked in I want to talk to you
about only she the champion within you
know often times I get asked this
question how can I become a champion and
my answer to that is you’re already a
champion it’s just up to you to make the
decision whether you’re going to awaken
the champion within or allow the
champion to stay dormant and allow life
to pass you by you know when I look
across this beautiful auditorium I see
boys and girls of all ages of all
ethnicities you have different styles
and different personalities and you’re
in different grade levels but I bet
there’s one thing that each and every
one of you have in common and that one
thing is each and every one of you have
gone through some type of challenge
struggle or pain that is trying to talk
you out of living your life and
achieving your goals trying to prevent
you from achieving your goals living
your life and walking in your purpose
but I want to come here today to tell
you that every obstacle and challenge
that you encounter don’t you allow any
situation or circumstance
to hold you back because you were
designed and created to be a champion I
want to talk to you a little bit more
about positioning we talked about your
stance and standing positioning is very
important sitting what you do is very
relaxed right now
it doesn’t take much effort but for me
to stand here in four-and-a-half his
shoes trust me it takes a lot of effort
that is not easy on my feet but standing
the effort that it takes is well worth
it so I suggest and recommend to you
today to continue standing and the
definition for standing there are many
of them but there’s one that’s very
important to me and the reason for that
it really relates to life it says a
situation or set of circumstances that
prevents someone’s power to act I ask
you today who are what are you allowing
to take away your power to act who are
what are you’re allowing to hold you
back from living your greatness you know
if you don’t stand for something you’ll
fall for anything and that term falling
it means that you will accept status quo
you will accept the hardships that life
passes your way instead of standing
strong having your position believing in
yourself that you can and will succeed
and not allowing anything to tell you
any different you know I love the game
of chess because the pieces and pawns on
the board is much like life the pieces
and pawns on the chessboard are
strategically placed so that the
opponent’s can win but it relies it
causes a lot of focus and strategizing
much like life so there are certain
things in your life that has to happen
in order for you to get to the next
level or next phase in your life and so
we have to understand life isn’t going
to always be easy but it’s up to you to
make the decision how are you gonna
handle what happens in your life are you
going to be irrational and think quickly
and become upset or you’re going to be
calm
I think the situation through so that
you won’t make the wrong decision or
decisions that can impact the rest of
your life now I want to tell you a
little bit about my life you know I
talked about chess and the parameters in
chess your component will change the
parameters of that game you have to
think fast you have to make a decision
in actuality chess has a lot to do with
the functionality of your brain it
activates the creativity the creative
part of our brain
it increases problem-solving skills
because every single thing and every
single time in life
moment by moment minute by minutes
second by second life changes and you
have to move with it and I had to learn
that at a very very young age at the age
of fourteen one of the parameters in my
life that was trying to hold me back
from Ali she the champion within I met
my father for the very first time at 14
and on this beautiful sunny day I’m so
excited to meet him and so we have a
20-minute conversation and during that
conversation towards the end I asked can
I keep in contact with you and his
response to me was no because I have
three boys who are more important than
you are with my wife and his wife is
sitting right there and then he says to
me which I wish he hadn’t said this he
says you know by the way she has two
more children from her previous marriage
and they too are more important than you
are if you can understand what type of
blow that was for a young 14 year old
girl
it changed my life forever but it
changed it in a good way
I cried for 10 days almost two weeks and
the tenth day I got up I dried my tears
and I stood in the mirror and I looked
at that young girl and I said
you are destined for greatness
and I also looked in the mirror and I
said to that young girl looking right
back at myself your father’s decision
will not define who you are nor defined
who or what you shall become and it was
in that moment that I began to realize
that my life was forever changed because
I realized at that moment when he made
that decision I was unleashing the
champion within because of his rejection
his lack of love for me because he did
not want to have anything to do with me
it empowered me to know that I am a
champion and it prepared me to be the
champion that I am today
now the second parameter in my life that
affected my life I was in my early 20s
and I was living in New York City I was
getting dressed and I had my long
evening gown on and I’m going to a New
Year’s Eve party with my then-boyfriend
and I promise you I’m not in my 20s any
longer
I am almost 50 so that’s a long time ago
but during this time of getting ready
for this grand party he decides to have
too much to drink and we’re in the
kitchen and he decides to take his hands
and push me so hard across the floor and
he almost knocked me completely out and
it was at that moment as I’m sitting in
front of about 50 to 60 guests members
watching me just slide straight across
the floor it was in that moment I sat
and I asked myself why and what did I do
wrong and then I also quickly in that
moment said to myself I did nothing
wrong he chose to hit me he chose to
drink too much
he chose to devalue my self-worth well
then I got up and I called the police
and they came and one of the two
officers said something that made a huge
impact in my life he looked at me and he
said you know I’m old enough to be your
father and I get these calls a lot from
young ladies your age or teenage girls
and also adults from their boyfriends
and husbands and it’s the same
conversation every time a boyfriend or
husband puts their hand on them he said
but often times I’m called back to the
same woman because that woman goes back
and oftentimes I keep going back and
then the situation gets worse and worse
and then eventually he hurts her so bad
it sometimes she’s non-existing so my
recommendation to you young lady and I
don’t know who you are but I’m gonna
talk to you like a father my
recommendation to you is to never look
back
to leave this young man alone and to
look forward into your future because I
don’t want to see you again and I said
to him you would never see this face
again because I will never see him again
because I will never put myself in that
situation again because I valued my
self-worth and I have never seen that
gentleman again and I have never been in
that situation ever again because of
that day I made a decision that that was
another die real eyes that that was
another defining moment in my life that
was building me up to unleash the
champion within and I realized that my
ex-boyfriends rejection like my dad his
lack of love for me like my dad heavens
evaluate me like my dad I recognize and
realize that those parameters those
situations once again empowered me to be
the champion that I am today and so I
wanted to share that with you because
often times we go through so much as
girls and boys and we just don’t know
which way to go we don’t know what to do
when we do blame ourselves and I don’t
want you to blame yourself I want you to
value yourself worth as boys and girls
and know that you are important and know
that you deserve the best
and know that you are the best you know
the last three years I used to be a
foster care mom one of the biggest
highlights of my life and my little boy
at the time he was five and I got him
this remote-control car a Corvette very
nice size and he’s running it up and
down the hallway I’m sitting on the sofa
on my computer and he’s thinking that
I’m not looking at him my kids knew we
didn’t want hands on the wall we didn’t
want to mess up the walls and wanted
everything to stay nice and so I’m
sitting there watching him and he’s
driving this really nice Corvette up and
down the hallway so he takes it and he
drives it down the hallway and it hits
the wall and he backs his back up and
then he drives it down the hallway again
it hits the wall and he backs it back up
and so he’s looking at me thinking I’m
not paying him in any attention and then
finally he says my kids named me honey
and he says to me honey I’m trying to
break this toy I’m not understanding why
isn’t it breaking instead every time I
move it up against the wall and back it
back out the lights are blinking and the
engine is getting stronger and then he
says I said well why do you want to
brake and he said because you’re gonna
go get me another one and that’s so true
I heard someone say oh and that’s often
true as parents we do keep getting you
something new if you keep breaking it
that was the wrong mistake for me but I
learned a very important lesson on this
particular day I’m looking at him and
then finally I said I have to get this
remote control because I’m gonna see
what’s going on with this car so I take
the car I Drive it down the hallway and
I bang it up the baseboard and I back it
back out the lights to blinking the
engine is raring do I have a boy or a
gentleman in here that could give me a
room I’m gonna call you in just a second
to do that again thank you for that that
was good by the way so I’m driving down
the hallway backing up into the wall
back it out the lights are blinking the
engines are raring I Drive it down the
hallway banging into the wall back it
out the lights the blinking the engine
is weary
and you know what I realize in that
moment that’s a good one but no the toy
was great when it kept getting stronger
but you know what I did realize I
started thinking about life how many
times have you and I felt like we’ve
been bang up against the wall because of
life and how many times when we bang up
against the wall we feel broken and we
feel on ashore of ourselves and we feel
like giving up but what I want you to do
just like this Corvette the lights kept
blinking and the engine cut raring I
want you to keep shining I want you to
keep raring up and knowing that you are
champion and not allow any situation or
circumstance to take you down and so on
this day of realizing that I started
really thinking about life even deeper
we get so depressed and a lot of times
it comes in our mind that we may want to
take our life when we see someone and
they may say to us you know why are you
here if someone ever asks you why you’re
still in existence and why are you here
because they don’t like you and don’t
want to be with you I want you to say to
them I am a champion and I’m great and
I’m destined for greatness and I’m here
and I’m going to win because like those
situations with my dad and my
ex-boyfriend I can tell you those aren’t
just the two hurdles I’ve had in life
but it would take me all day to tell you
all the hurdles that I have come up
against but what I can tell you I do
believe that these situations that I
encountered I believe they prepared me
to be here in front of you today because
if I didn’t have those situations happen
to me I wouldn’t have a story to share
with you now I could still be your guest
speaker but I wouldn’t be the guest
speaker that would tell you what I’ve
been through so I can help you move
forward so I do believe the challenges
the hurt the pain the sorrow the
sleepless nights the tears that I’ve
cried many times I can tell you this it
is because of my faith that I’ve been
able to stand strong and tall and be
courageous and fearless to come to
you beautiful boys and girls and say
live life live the best life that you
can possibly live because you definitely
deserve it and so I want you to know
that not to allow any situation of
circumstance to take away your joy don’t
allow any situation or circumstance so
anyone to take away that bright light
the shining inside of you you know I
begin this message I came out in my
championship robe my championship belt
and my boxing gloves now that was cute
so cute costume from Party City I love
party city I love costumes but it was a
much more symbolic reason for that when
I ran from there to here
and up about five steps I did that for
you and I did it for me because it was a
very symbolic to me to remind me of my
past my present and where I’m going in
the future and I want it to be symbolic
for you to remind you that yes we have
to fight sometimes as you saw me do but
not with your fists and not with your
hands fight with your mind fight because
you are intelligent and you’re smart and
you’re doing everything in school to go
to college and get an education so you
too can be a brighter light and a vessel
for other kids so you can empower them
and you can continue living the best
life you deserve to live
so I started this with you up on your
feet and we’re going to end it with you
up on your feet I want every boy girl
student member family members everyone
up or your feet and I want you to listen
to me for a second on the count of three
this is what I want you to do listen to
what I’m gonna have you say I want you
to say I am a champion and I no no no no
wait until I count
I am a champion and I am destined to win
one two
three I am the champion and I am
destined to win yes you are champions
you are a champion you are a champion
you are a champion you are a champion
Oprah Winfrey said many years ago she
gave away cars on her talk show and it
may be too young for you all to remember
this and she said you get a car you get
a car you get a car would you all like
for me to give you a car now I can’t
give you a car but what I am giving you
today I am raising up later than
presidents and lawyers and attorneys and
teachers in the house today so I want
you to remember that you are a champion
you are a champion and you are a
champion each and every one of you are
champions give yourselves a round of
applause [Applause]
to your left and a person sitting to
your right and even you you don’t know
what they might have gone through today
or yesterday and maybe we look a little
tall because we’re standing firm but on
the inside sometimes we feel like this
because we feel like we have the great
weight of the world on our shoulder
we’re trying hard to study in school and
keep our grades up some of us are
dealing with issues maybe at home and so
what you did today for each other
you spoke life to each other so that you
can change your countenance because it
means a lot when you see your
countenance changes that someone says
something about you and it makes you
feel good so I hope today as you listen
to me that you’re able to sit down and
when you get comfortable in your chair
today I really hope you can sit a little
tall or push your chair your chest back
hold your head up and just feel a lot
more confident than probably you did
when you walked in I want to talk to you
about only she the champion within you
know often times I get asked this
question how can I become a champion and
my answer to that is you’re already a
champion it’s just up to you to make the
decision whether you’re going to awaken
the champion within or allow the
champion to stay dormant and allow life
to pass you by you know when I look
across this beautiful auditorium I see
boys and girls of all ages of all
ethnicities you have different styles
and different personalities and you’re
in different grade levels but I bet
there’s one thing that each and every
one of you have in common and that one
thing is each and every one of you have
gone through some type of challenge
struggle or pain that is trying to talk
you out of living your life and
achieving your goals trying to prevent
you from achieving your goals living
your life and walking in your purpose
but I want to come here today to tell
you that every obstacle and challenge
that you encounter don’t you allow any
situation or circumstance
to hold you back because you were
designed and created to be a champion I
want to talk to you a little bit more
about positioning we talked about your
stance and standing positioning is very
important sitting what you do is very
relaxed right now
it doesn’t take much effort but for me
to stand here in four-and-a-half his
shoes trust me it takes a lot of effort
that is not easy on my feet but standing
the effort that it takes is well worth
it so I suggest and recommend to you
today to continue standing and the
definition for standing there are many
of them but there’s one that’s very
important to me and the reason for that
it really relates to life it says a
situation or set of circumstances that
prevents someone’s power to act I ask
you today who are what are you allowing
to take away your power to act who are
what are you’re allowing to hold you
back from living your greatness you know
if you don’t stand for something you’ll
fall for anything and that term falling
it means that you will accept status quo
you will accept the hardships that life
passes your way instead of standing
strong having your position believing in
yourself that you can and will succeed
and not allowing anything to tell you
any different you know I love the game
of chess because the pieces and pawns on
the board is much like life the pieces
and pawns on the chessboard are
strategically placed so that the
opponent’s can win but it relies it
causes a lot of focus and strategizing
much like life so there are certain
things in your life that has to happen
in order for you to get to the next
level or next phase in your life and so
we have to understand life isn’t going
to always be easy but it’s up to you to
make the decision how are you gonna
handle what happens in your life are you
going to be irrational and think quickly
and become upset or you’re going to be
calm
I think the situation through so that
you won’t make the wrong decision or
decisions that can impact the rest of
your life now I want to tell you a
little bit about my life you know I
talked about chess and the parameters in
chess your component will change the
parameters of that game you have to
think fast you have to make a decision
in actuality chess has a lot to do with
the functionality of your brain it
activates the creativity the creative
part of our brain
it increases problem-solving skills
because every single thing and every
single time in life
moment by moment minute by minutes
second by second life changes and you
have to move with it and I had to learn
that at a very very young age at the age
of fourteen one of the parameters in my
life that was trying to hold me back
from Ali she the champion within I met
my father for the very first time at 14
and on this beautiful sunny day I’m so
excited to meet him and so we have a
20-minute conversation and during that
conversation towards the end I asked can
I keep in contact with you and his
response to me was no because I have
three boys who are more important than
you are with my wife and his wife is
sitting right there and then he says to
me which I wish he hadn’t said this he
says you know by the way she has two
more children from her previous marriage
and they too are more important than you
are if you can understand what type of
blow that was for a young 14 year old
girl
it changed my life forever but it
changed it in a good way
I cried for 10 days almost two weeks and
the tenth day I got up I dried my tears
and I stood in the mirror and I looked
at that young girl and I said
you are destined for greatness
and I also looked in the mirror and I
said to that young girl looking right
back at myself your father’s decision
will not define who you are nor defined
who or what you shall become and it was
in that moment that I began to realize
that my life was forever changed because
I realized at that moment when he made
that decision I was unleashing the
champion within because of his rejection
his lack of love for me because he did
not want to have anything to do with me
it empowered me to know that I am a
champion and it prepared me to be the
champion that I am today
now the second parameter in my life that
affected my life I was in my early 20s
and I was living in New York City I was
getting dressed and I had my long
evening gown on and I’m going to a New
Year’s Eve party with my then-boyfriend
and I promise you I’m not in my 20s any
longer
I am almost 50 so that’s a long time ago
but during this time of getting ready
for this grand party he decides to have
too much to drink and we’re in the
kitchen and he decides to take his hands
and push me so hard across the floor and
he almost knocked me completely out and
it was at that moment as I’m sitting in
front of about 50 to 60 guests members
watching me just slide straight across
the floor it was in that moment I sat
and I asked myself why and what did I do
wrong and then I also quickly in that
moment said to myself I did nothing
wrong he chose to hit me he chose to
drink too much
he chose to devalue my self-worth well
then I got up and I called the police
and they came and one of the two
officers said something that made a huge
impact in my life he looked at me and he
said you know I’m old enough to be your
father and I get these calls a lot from
young ladies your age or teenage girls
and also adults from their boyfriends
and husbands and it’s the same
conversation every time a boyfriend or
husband puts their hand on them he said
but often times I’m called back to the
same woman because that woman goes back
and oftentimes I keep going back and
then the situation gets worse and worse
and then eventually he hurts her so bad
it sometimes she’s non-existing so my
recommendation to you young lady and I
don’t know who you are but I’m gonna
talk to you like a father my
recommendation to you is to never look
back
to leave this young man alone and to
look forward into your future because I
don’t want to see you again and I said
to him you would never see this face
again because I will never see him again
because I will never put myself in that
situation again because I valued my
self-worth and I have never seen that
gentleman again and I have never been in
that situation ever again because of
that day I made a decision that that was
another die real eyes that that was
another defining moment in my life that
was building me up to unleash the
champion within and I realized that my
ex-boyfriends rejection like my dad his
lack of love for me like my dad heavens
evaluate me like my dad I recognize and
realize that those parameters those
situations once again empowered me to be
the champion that I am today and so I
wanted to share that with you because
often times we go through so much as
girls and boys and we just don’t know
which way to go we don’t know what to do
when we do blame ourselves and I don’t
want you to blame yourself I want you to
value yourself worth as boys and girls
and know that you are important and know
that you deserve the best
and know that you are the best you know
the last three years I used to be a
foster care mom one of the biggest
highlights of my life and my little boy
at the time he was five and I got him
this remote-control car a Corvette very
nice size and he’s running it up and
down the hallway I’m sitting on the sofa
on my computer and he’s thinking that
I’m not looking at him my kids knew we
didn’t want hands on the wall we didn’t
want to mess up the walls and wanted
everything to stay nice and so I’m
sitting there watching him and he’s
driving this really nice Corvette up and
down the hallway so he takes it and he
drives it down the hallway and it hits
the wall and he backs his back up and
then he drives it down the hallway again
it hits the wall and he backs it back up
and so he’s looking at me thinking I’m
not paying him in any attention and then
finally he says my kids named me honey
and he says to me honey I’m trying to
break this toy I’m not understanding why
isn’t it breaking instead every time I
move it up against the wall and back it
back out the lights are blinking and the
engine is getting stronger and then he
says I said well why do you want to
brake and he said because you’re gonna
go get me another one and that’s so true
I heard someone say oh and that’s often
true as parents we do keep getting you
something new if you keep breaking it
that was the wrong mistake for me but I
learned a very important lesson on this
particular day I’m looking at him and
then finally I said I have to get this
remote control because I’m gonna see
what’s going on with this car so I take
the car I Drive it down the hallway and
I bang it up the baseboard and I back it
back out the lights to blinking the
engine is raring do I have a boy or a
gentleman in here that could give me a
room I’m gonna call you in just a second
to do that again thank you for that that
was good by the way so I’m driving down
the hallway backing up into the wall
back it out the lights are blinking the
engines are raring I Drive it down the
hallway banging into the wall back it
out the lights the blinking the engine
is weary
and you know what I realize in that
moment that’s a good one but no the toy
was great when it kept getting stronger
but you know what I did realize I
started thinking about life how many
times have you and I felt like we’ve
been bang up against the wall because of
life and how many times when we bang up
against the wall we feel broken and we
feel on ashore of ourselves and we feel
like giving up but what I want you to do
just like this Corvette the lights kept
blinking and the engine cut raring I
want you to keep shining I want you to
keep raring up and knowing that you are
champion and not allow any situation or
circumstance to take you down and so on
this day of realizing that I started
really thinking about life even deeper
we get so depressed and a lot of times
it comes in our mind that we may want to
take our life when we see someone and
they may say to us you know why are you
here if someone ever asks you why you’re
still in existence and why are you here
because they don’t like you and don’t
want to be with you I want you to say to
them I am a champion and I’m great and
I’m destined for greatness and I’m here
and I’m going to win because like those
situations with my dad and my
ex-boyfriend I can tell you those aren’t
just the two hurdles I’ve had in life
but it would take me all day to tell you
all the hurdles that I have come up
against but what I can tell you I do
believe that these situations that I
encountered I believe they prepared me
to be here in front of you today because
if I didn’t have those situations happen
to me I wouldn’t have a story to share
with you now I could still be your guest
speaker but I wouldn’t be the guest
speaker that would tell you what I’ve
been through so I can help you move
forward so I do believe the challenges
the hurt the pain the sorrow the
sleepless nights the tears that I’ve
cried many times I can tell you this it
is because of my faith that I’ve been
able to stand strong and tall and be
courageous and fearless to come to
you beautiful boys and girls and say
live life live the best life that you
can possibly live because you definitely
deserve it and so I want you to know
that not to allow any situation of
circumstance to take away your joy don’t
allow any situation or circumstance so
anyone to take away that bright light
the shining inside of you you know I
begin this message I came out in my
championship robe my championship belt
and my boxing gloves now that was cute
so cute costume from Party City I love
party city I love costumes but it was a
much more symbolic reason for that when
I ran from there to here
and up about five steps I did that for
you and I did it for me because it was a
very symbolic to me to remind me of my
past my present and where I’m going in
the future and I want it to be symbolic
for you to remind you that yes we have
to fight sometimes as you saw me do but
not with your fists and not with your
hands fight with your mind fight because
you are intelligent and you’re smart and
you’re doing everything in school to go
to college and get an education so you
too can be a brighter light and a vessel
for other kids so you can empower them
and you can continue living the best
life you deserve to live
so I started this with you up on your
feet and we’re going to end it with you
up on your feet I want every boy girl
student member family members everyone
up or your feet and I want you to listen
to me for a second on the count of three
this is what I want you to do listen to
what I’m gonna have you say I want you
to say I am a champion and I no no no no
wait until I count
I am a champion and I am destined to win
one two
three I am the champion and I am
destined to win yes you are champions
you are a champion you are a champion
you are a champion you are a champion
Oprah Winfrey said many years ago she
gave away cars on her talk show and it
may be too young for you all to remember
this and she said you get a car you get
a car you get a car would you all like
for me to give you a car now I can’t
give you a car but what I am giving you
today I am raising up later than
presidents and lawyers and attorneys and
teachers in the house today so I want
you to remember that you are a champion
you are a champion and you are a
champion each and every one of you are
champions give yourselves a round of
applause [Applause]
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