YWCA

The Life of a Champion

Laila Ali is a born fighter, but she was fighting battles in her personal life long before she ever stepped foot in the boxing ring.

Growing up, Laila faced a challenging childhood. As her father, Muhammad Ali, devoted much of his life to humanitarian work and traveling around the world, he missed many of the milestones in Laila's childhood, which was difficult for her growing up. During her teenage years, Laila struggled in school, wasn't listening to her mother, and found herself headed down the wrong path. This path eventually led to time in juvenile hall and later a group home—an experience that changed the direction of her life.

"Just being locked up, having my freedom taken away, and then having the opportunity to get to know the girls in the group home [and] hearing their stories and hearing everything they had been through really just changed me as a person." Laila said she had a privileged life compared to a lot of those girls, and she had no excuse not to get her act together. "Leaving there really changed me. [...] It really just set the foundation of like, who I am and the work that it takes." Although the program was supposed to take a year, Laila's ambitious and competitive nature pushed her to work hard and graduate in only 6 months.

Laila graduated with a business degree from Santa Monica College in California and opened her own nail salon, but her life was changed once more when she saw women's boxing on television for the first time. Instantly, she knew she wanted to become a champion, and after a year of working up the courage, Laila started training in secret after school and after work every night for 6 days a week. In the beginning, she faced a lot of pressure and backlash from strangers and even her father, who said boxing wasn't for women and wasn't for her. This only fueled Laila to train harder and prove herself, and in 1999 at age 21, Laila Ali knocked out her first round opponent in under a minute. Laila and Muhammad Ali reconciled after the fight, and after apologizing, her father tried teaching her how to jab (which Laila accepted, despite already knowing how).

"He told me that he apologized and that he was wrong and that... he was proud of me, and that just brought us both to tears," Laila recounted in an interview with People Magazine. Not only did she win her first boxing match that day, she also won her father's respect and "changed his mind about me, about women's boxing, about the limits he had on his mind for women."

Laila Ali's vision for a better world

Laila Ali retired from boxing in 2007 undefeated as a five-time boxing world champion with 21 victories via knockouts under her belt. She made history during the 2012 Olympic games as the first woman to provide expert boxing commentary for NBC Sports, and in 2022, Laila was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for her impact on the sport. 

Since then, Laila has turned her attention towards various other projects, including advocacy work. She served as a former president of the Women's Sports Foundation and was a major voice for the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which protects women's rights to be included and treated equally in collegiate sports. Laila is a longtime ambassador for the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and she's worked with organizations like Feeding America, which fights food insecurity and improves access to nutrition in underserved communities. Kids have a "near and dear place" in her heart, so Laila has also partnered with youth organizations like Peace4Kids, which serves youth in foster care.

"Giving back is not just something I casually choose to do—it is something I believe I must do," said Laila while working with Peace4Kids. "My father has been the perfect example of compassion, understanding, and humility. I only connect with causes and organizations that I am truly passionate about. No matter what is going on in the world, I find great peace in knowing that I can impact someone's life in a positive, uplifting, and meaningful way."

Through her work as a entrepreneur, advocate, and public speaker, Laila proudly carries forward a legacy of excellence, purpose, and impact while building her own path — empowering others to live boldly and purposefully from the inside out.

Together, We Are Powerful

We can't wait to hear from Laila Ali at this year's Inspire Luncheon on September 24, and we would love to see you there! The Luncheon is our biggest fundraiser of the year, with donations supporting YWCA programs like emergency and permanent housing, domestic violence services, and job training across King and Snohomish County.

In-person and virtual tickets are still available, so get yours today and stay tuned for our conversation with Laila Ali!