Quotes from Laila Ali

I like to play by my own rules.

Authenticity is very important - be true to one's self.

You have to fight for your health and stay on top of it. Our bodies are meant to be healthy.

Focus on being balanced - success is balance.

I understand that the average person can't imagine damaging their looks in any way if it could be avoided. But I don't value my physical beauty to the point where I would not do something I truly enjoy because I'm afraid of potentially hurting something superficial.

I'm not a team sports person type person, so I probably would have been good at tennis, because I like tennis. But my parents really didn't push me. I think if my parents would have guided me and stay committed, I could have played any sport I wanted to, but I never did.

My dad lived by example. I lived by watching him. I watched all the great things he did and said. I try to walk that talk for my children.

I saw women's boxing on television for the first time when I was 18, and that's when I wanted to do it. So, it didn't come from me watching my father. I didn't know the sport existed; therefore, I wasn't really interested in it until I saw it.

I never intended to box forever, and always planned to move on to do other things.

I think that the greatest lesson I learned from my father is just having compassion towards people.

I have cravings all the time, even when I'm not pregnant.

I think that if you do want to be a fighter, then you need to work harder than everybody else and make sure that you surround yourself with good people, especially if you're a woman. You've got to find a team that takes you seriously as a female fighter and is not going to rush you into the ring before you're ready.

I've had people in the family, male and female, impacted by heart disease. But people can prevent it.

I'm not one of those women who's like pro women. I'm an individual, and I'm in an individual sport. So I see everyone as individuals, not as male or female.

When I entered the sport of boxing I wanted to be one of the best and be undefeated. And I was able to attain that, not just one championship title, but four.

Sometimes your worst hits in life wind up being your best advantage. If only you could believe that when you're getting hit.

My kids know the importance of being active - and that's why teaming up with the USTA was such an organic fit for me. They are making strives to get families outside - and using tennis as a way to get kids to stay active.

I'm private in the sense that I like my personal space and only want people in the parts of my business that I choose to share. Anything I feel is too personal to share publicly, I keep to myself.

'All in With Laila Ali' is educational, inspirational, compelling programming profiling individuals that have reached for the sky, pushed themselves to the limit and did things that you would think were impossible.

I do my best to work out 5 days a week. There are times when I can only get in 3 days a week because I am traveling or just need rest due to a hectic schedule. But working out is always a priority, and if I fall off due to my schedule, it is not long before I get back on track.

Everybody wants recognition, but we can't all get it.

If you knew you could change your lifestyle and diet and avoid heart disease and other things, you should do it.

I have to get a workout in in the morning. Once my day starts, I'll have the best intentions, and it still won't happen: one of the kids needs to be picked up somewhere, I have to hop on a conference call, or I'm just tired. So I get it done in the A.M.

I'm a professional world champion. Of course if you're a world champion, you're working harder than everybody else. You're making the commitment, and you're making the sacrifices. If it were easy, everybody would be able to do it. Everybody would be able to be world champion, but everybody can't be. Everybody doesn't have it in them.