Upcoming event at Fighter's Heaven aimed at gathering stories, information for new book on Ali

Oct. 2—DEER LAKE — Community members are invited to Fighter's Heaven this weekend to take part in an insightful, informative event centered on the life of the late Muhammad Ali at his iconic training camp.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, a public event called "Memories of Ali at Deer Lake" will aim to collect personal stories, anecdotes and keepsakes focused on the legendary boxer's interactions with local people during his time at the camp from 1972 to 1981.

Fans of the boxer who recall the period are invited to the site to share memories, as well as items such as photographs, journal entries and newspaper articles.

Those sources will help form material for a new book by Todd M. Mealy, a Lancaster-based historian, about Ali's life at the camp.

"Right now, I'm working on trying to speak to as many people as I can who visited the camp from 1972 to 1981 and were on the site when Ali was training," Mealy said. "I'm looking for them to share memories — so perhaps personal interactions they had with Ali or anyone from his entourage, or to see if they have any memorabilia, photographs, or anything from their experience of visiting the camp."

Mealy will be on hand from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the boxing ring.

"It's a day where we'll be allowing people to come in and share their stories of their interactions with Muhammad Ali, their memories," said Mick Stefanek, general manager of Fighter's Heaven.

Rather than write a full biography of Ali, Mealy wants to focus his book on Fighter's Heaven, where the boxer trained for several of his famous bouts during the latter half of his career.

"My objective at the moment," he said, "is to write more of a biography of the camp. ... I think the camp itself can provide readers with lessons on building community and reinventing oneself."

"Memories of Ali" is a free community event, and no registration is required.

Anyone who is unable to attend the event but still wants to share stories can contact Mealy at 717-380-6815 or tmmealy@comcast.net.

Mealy hopes that his research will provide a "different perspective" on Ali's career.

The boxer, he noted, had been dealing with financial hardships and other personal issues during his second reign as world heavyweight champion in the 1970s.

"I would like for readers to take a look at that story, with the camp right there at the center," said Mealy, who estimates his book will be completed by 2025.

In addition to community members, Mealy plans to speak to the boxer's surviving friends and family members, as well as fellow Ali biographers.

The "hardest piece" of research, he said, has been in finding documentation that would reveal the original layout of the Fighter's Heaven site in West Brunswick Twp. and the finances invested in the camp, among other details.

Mealy also wants to research other aspects of Ali lore, including the brief period in 1976 when Ali ditched Fighter's Heaven in favor of training camps in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and Show Low, Arizona.

"It's a different side of his boxing career," Mealy said. "Instead of just the fights ... what was going on at the places where he was training?"

For Saturday's event, Mealy encourages people to bring items, particularly photographs, that may never have seen the light of day.

"This is an opportunity for people who are holding on to those cherished memories, to get them out to the public," Mealy said.

Stefanek said that Ali was "very active" in the community and was a regular contributor to local charity efforts, including through exhibition fights at Martz Hall.

Several photographs on display at the camp show Ali engaged in the surrounding community — including snapshots of him jogging on the roads.

Fighter's Heaven recently received designation as an important historic site from state and national agencies.

In June, the camp received a marker from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, with a dedication ceremony held on-site to commemorate its unveiling.

Last month, the camp was elevated to a national historic site when it received a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085