The unlikely way a stolen bike helped boxing legend Muhammad Ali get his start

Muhammad Ali, one of the world’s greatest boxers, died at the age of 74 on Friday night from septic shock, his family confirmed on Saturday.

Ali had been on life support after suffering from respiratory issues apparently related to his Parkinson’s disease.

As the world mourns Ali’s death, many are remembering the surprising story behind how he got his start in boxing.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942, his favorite bike — a Christmas present from his father — was stolen from him when he was 12.

Clay was told to find Joe Elsby Martin, a police officer who might help him get the bike back. He found Martin, who was also a boxing trainer, down at a local boxing gym.

Clay was so distraught over the loss of his bike that he told Martin he would “whup” the thief when he found him, according to The New York Post.

After filling out a police report, Martin asked Clay if he knew how to fight. Clay didn’t.

“We got boxing every night, Monday through Friday, from 6 to 8,” Martin told the boy, per The New York Times. “Here’s an application in case you want to join the gym.”

AP PhotoMuhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay at the time, strikes a familiar pose as he shouts “I am the greatest,” as he leaves the ring, arms raised, following his defeat of former heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, Fla., February 25, 1964.

Ali remembers being so completely enamored with the boxing gym that he almost forgot about his bike entirely.

“I ran downstairs, crying, but the sights and sounds and the smell of the boxing gym excited me so much that I almost forgot about the bike,” Ali wrote in his autobiography.

“There were about 10 boxers in the gym, some hitting the speed bag, some in the ring, sparring, some jumping rope. I stood there, smelling the sweat and rubbing alcohol, and a feeling of awe came over me.”

The rest, as they say, is history.