WHEN I look back over the years to the 1960s, when I was a child, and very impressionable, I clearly remember how the boxer, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, or Muhammad Ali, as he became known, became my true sporting hero.

He came on the scene for me in 1960, when I was only about seven, and he won the light heavyweight title at the Olympic Games in Rome. I remember being allowed by my father to get up in the middle of the night to listen to his first world heavyweight title on radio, when he boxed against Sonny Liston.

We hadn't got live television or recorded highlights of title fights back then, so it was always a wonderful treat to be able to stay up late, or even to be woken up in the middle of the night, to listen to a match.

Ali was the first international sports star I took an interest in, and I used to take clippings from the papers about him, and pin them up on my bedroom wall. The Irish Independent used to print photos of sports stars that you could write in for, and I had a collection of pictures of Ali on my wall, which grew to include Kilkenny goalkeeper, Ollie Walsh, and athletic stars, such as Peter Snell and Kipchoge Keino.

What I loved about Ali was the way he boxed and his showmanship. I also loved the wonderful poetry he came out with during press conferences, and the various little sayings he had, like the famous "dance like a butterfly and sting like a bee".

He refused to serve in the US army during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector, because he said that it went against the teachings of the Holy Koran. He wouldn't answer to his name of Cassius Clay, as he said that Clay was the name given to his slave ancestors by white men.

He was essentially banned from fighting in the US as a result, and had to accept fights abroad for most of 1966.

I've met Ali several times in person, and the first time was several years ago when I was doing my thing on the American indoor circuit, having broken the world record a couple of times. It was at the 'Night of 100 Stars', in Radio City Music Hall, in New York, and I was one of the stars being honoured on that particular occasion.

It was a black-tie affair, and I went into the loo just before we had to take our place in chronological order, and who was standing there beside me at the mirror washing his hands, but . . . Muhammad Ali. I said to him, "Hey Ali, I can't wait until tomorrow!" and he said, "Why's that, man?"

and I replied, "Because I'm getting better looking every day!" He cracked up laughing, and I felt like a kid in a candy store, because the greatest sporting hero from my childhood was standing right beside me, and I was taking the mickey out of him.

I told him how I idolised him as a child, and that my father used to let me stay up to listen to the matches. He asked who I was, and when I told him, he said that we had something in common, because he was the boxing champion and I was the running champion.

What I admired about Ali was that he always seemed to have time for people, no matter who they were or what level they were at. Having come through the sporting world, and witnessed some rather rude and ignorant people who had no time for the fans, and were in too much of a hurry to sign autographs, I always vowed that if I ever made it, I would be like Ali, and would always give time to people if they asked.

I know that 10 seconds, one minute or five minutes of your time, can mean a lifetime of friendship to the particular individual you've encountered. I always thought it was very important to have a little bit of charm as a sportsperson, like Ali had, and to enjoy yourself at the same time.

Ali is someone I consider to be one of the most articulate athletes ever. He was never afraid to express his personal point of view and it inspired me to decide that if I really and truly believed in something to do with my sport, I would express my opinion. I did that, even though it sometimes got me into trouble with the likes of the Olympic Council, or the Athletics Association of Ireland throughout the years.

Ali's health has deteriorated in recent years because he has pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome, a neurological disorder that affects some career boxers and others who receive multiple dazing blows to the head.

I've always felt it was heartbreaking seeing such a wonderful larger-than-life character handicapped by such a dreadful illness.

I've seen him at a number of sports functions, and he needs a lot of help and support, yet he always holds his head up with dignity, and is still regarded all over the world as probably the greatest sports god of all times.

Eamonn Coghlan will participate in the SPAR Mile Challenge, which takes place in 28 venues across the country on 7 July. The idea is to get as many people as possible out running a mile on that day, whether it's for charity, for a bet, for a challenge or just for fun. Info on www. sparmilechallenge. com