Muhammad Ali & Elite Athletes’ Experiences of Physical and Mental Health

In this lesson, students will analyze and discuss how physical and mental health interact to impact athletes, particularly elite Black athletes, through careful exploration of Muhammad Ali’s health journey. Ali, widely considered the best athlete of his time and one of the best athletes of all time, faced incredible pressure to perform. This was pressure he placed on himself and pressure that was put on him by his competitors, funders, managers, and the public. 

Students will engage in a group research activity to examine how Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, mental health, and other physical injuries have affected Ali and other elite athletes. This lesson provides the opportunity for educators and students to partake in critical conversations about wellness and make connections to present-day conversations about mental health in elite sports, with a comparative focus on Simon Biles’ radical work advocating for her health during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Students will view videos clips depicting boxing champion Muhammad Ali at his physical and professional peak and his experiences with Parkinson’s and declining health later in life.

Learning Objectives: 

Students will aim to:

• Understand the ways in which Ali’s personal experiences as an elite athlete was shaped by internal and external pressures to perform, impacts of traumatic brain injuries, and his battle with Parkinson’s disease;
• Identify and discuss the pressure placed on elite athletes to perform and connect these experiences to the impacts they have on physical and mental health;
• Research an athlete living and performing with a health condition and create a media project demonstrating their understanding of the ways physical and mental health are interconnected;
• Make connections between Ali’s experiences and present-day conversations about mental health in elite sports.

Note to educators: This lesson explores the interconnectedness of physical and mental health. We ask that you take great care with conversations around mental and emotional health because your students may be experiencing (and likely have in the past experienced) obstacles to their own mental/emotional health. In addition, students have likely experienced the effects of mental and physical health struggles in their family and broader community. Consider how you will work to support the learners in your care, and be prepared to connect your learnings to resources for mental health services should the need arise. Over the course of this lesson, it is a good idea to integrate differentiated check-ins with your students.

About the Author: 

Sebastian Byers (he/him) teaches Earth and Environmental Science, AP Biology and AP Environmental Science. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and received his teaching certification from UNC Charlotte. He obtained his Masters in Educational Leadership from Queens University of Charlotte and is a Master Teacher Trainer with UNCTV. He is a 2018 PBS Digital Innovator All-Star and has co-hosted multiple Virtual Professional Learning Series with PBS.