Flint Gold Medalist Claressa Shields to Present Muhammad Ali Liberty Award

2012 is a year that Claressa Shields isn't going to forget and the Flint native has another once in a lifetime opportunity coming up.  The 17-year-old boxing gold medalist will be hanging the 2012 Liberty Award Medal around the neck of  "The Greatest".

Claressa Shields almost quit boxing a couple years back, which would have put an end to one of the best stories in Flint athletics history.  Shields was the first American woman to ever win a gold medal in boxing and the only boxer this year to walk out of London with gold.

The 17-year-old will be presenting on of the greatest fighters of all time, Muhammad Ali with the 2012 Liberty Award Medal this coming September in Philadelphia.   Ali is being presented the award for being a champion of freedom, and the philanthropy he's been a part of through out his life.

Shields knows that presenting Ali with a medal is a great honor and a once in a lifetime opportunity.  He truly was one of the best fighters of all time and an activist and face for the Civil Rights Movement.  Shields was quoted saying,

I've watched his movies, I've watched him box and just to be able to really talk to him I'm just really curious to see what he's going to say to me.  I think that he will have nothing but good words and I really hoped that he watched my fights from the Olympics.

Source: MLive