There’s no arrogance in his voice when he says it — just the quiet certainty of someone who knows that the real magic lies not in the destination, but in the journey itself. “And right now, for me, that journey is just beginning,” he concludes.

A beloved icon. A fighter who transcended his sport. A symbol of heroism, courage and defiance. Muhammad Ali was all of these things and more to countless millions of admirers around the world during his remarkable life and times.

Writers around the world fiddled with many words over half a century to define the aura that Muhammad Ali exuded. But eventually they all had to settle for The Greatest, the title with which Ali famously introduced himself after knocking out a fearsome Sonny Liston to become the world heavyweight champion some 52 years ago.

Muhammad Ali is remembered in tributes worldwide for his iconic fight for social justice as well as his legendary boxing battles following his death Friday at age 74.