Muhammad Ali was so scared of flying that he brought his own parachute on a plane to the Olympics before winning gold for USA

Muhammad Ali is widely considered to be the greatest boxer of all time.

But before he was a fast-talking knockout artist who changed the sport forever, Ali -- also known as Cassius Clay -- was a young boxer trying to prove himself in the Olympics.

The 2024 Summer Games will be held in Paris and feature Simone Biles, LeBron James and Katie Ledecky trying to win gold medals for the United States.

In 1960, the Olympics were in Rome, Italy.

And it took an airplane for an 18-year-old Ali to fly across the world.

For most world-class athletes, that wasn't a problem.

For a young Ali, it was a huge personal issue -- and almost prevented him from winning gold in the Olympics.

Ali had a life-changing experience during a one-hour flight from Louisville to Chicago.

"Some of the seats were torn from their bolts on the floor," he said in a 1975 autobiography.

Joe Martin, a former coach, backed up Ali's fear.

"I really thought it was our last ride," Martin said. "I mean Cassius was praying and hollering! Oh, man, he was scared to death.”

With the 1960 Olympics set in Rome, the only way that Ali could realistically travel was by air.

First, he did research that involved the US Air Force.

"What I was afraid of most was the plane crashing," he said.

Ali contacted the US military branch and asked for flight records from America to Rome.

“They said they couldn’t even remember the last time one had crashed," Ali said. "That calmed me down enough to take the flight.”

Still, he wasn't fully at ease.

The next logical step for the king of the rope-a-dope with an eventual 56-5 career record was to support his cross-continent flight with a back-up plan.

Ali bought a parachute and brought it with him on the flight.

It was purchased at an army surplus store and followed Ali on his future air travel.

Once he safely arrived in Rome, he dominated.

He recorded three unanimous decisions and a knockout, which included victories over two medal winners from 1956.

Ali won gold for the US and set up a career that is still known across the world 64 years later.

But without his trusted parachute, Clay never would have become Ali, and Ali never would have become the greatest in the world.