Teen's life changed by Muhammad Ali's visit to Halifax

By "pure luck," an impromptu sparring match with Muhammad Ali on a Halifax street changed a teenager's life.

"I get shivers when I think back about that moment," said Gordon Sinclair Johnson, who was 17 when the boxing great and political activist visited Halifax in 1987.

"It's hard to say whether or not I'd still be here if I didn't meet him. That's just how much of an influence that had on me."

Johnson saw a video of himself playfully sparring — with a big grin — on CBC Nova Scotia's Facebook page, posted there after Ali died. Johnson then reached out.

"That was a really incredible experience, especially at that time in my life," he told CBC's Information Morning. "That was one of my lowest points."

'Changed my life'

Johnson was suffering from depression, had left home and was out of work. He was taking a job placement program at the YMCA on Gottingen Street near the Black United Front when one day, Ali stopped by.

"He just looked over at me and waved me over, and the next thing I knew, he puts his hands up," Johnson said.

"It was just wild that he looked at me and actually wanted to interact with me. That really changed my life."

Meeting Ali, he said, gave him confidence — and now he's a father, husband and a welder who's travelled the country using his skills.

• Legendary boxer known for his political activism and fight against racism

'He's gone'

Johnson's now living in Cambridge, Ont., but plans to move near Falmoulth, N.S., next month.

He said seeing the video brought back "a flood of memories," mixed with grief over his hero's death.

"It just felt like the whole world was just sad," Johnson said. "We have one of the most influential black role models in history, and he's gone."

• Muhammad Ali's 1987 visit to Halifax remembered by Buddy Daye's daughters