Wheaties Century Box and Muhammad Ali inspire the next generation of champions

For some athletes, the Wheaties box is the pinnacle of sports achievement. The Wheaties Century Box featuring Muhammad Ali, considered The Greatest of All Time, is the first honoree in the commemorative series. As an athlete who showed strength and determination within the ring, his impact outside of sport was even greater. The Breakfast of Champions shows that sport is just one aspect of an athlete’s greatness.

Recently, Wheaties has taken its iconic celebration of athletes in a different direction. Any athlete that has earned this recognition has reached the highest level of their spot. In addition, many of those athletes have been vocal about change. From Serena Williams being an example for women athletes to LeBron James highlighting community efforts in his hometown, the truth is that the person behind the long list of achievements makes them great.

Celebrating 100 years of champions, the Wheaties Century Box will feature various cover athletes that have impacted not just their sport but also the community. While that young athlete might pour that bowl of cereal and dream big, each spoonful is fueling achievement in all areas of their lives.

Why did the brand choose Muhammad Ali for the first Wheaties Century Box?

For the Wheaties Century Box, the brand is bringing back athletes who have been featured previously. Each athlete captures core principles that connect all these individuals across the various sports. Those principles include, “confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, spirituality, and respect.” With Ali, he exhibited those characteristics both inside and outside of the ring.

According to Taylor Gessell, brand experience manager for Wheaties, “No one was quite like Muhammad Ali, beyond his unrivaled prowess in the boxing ring he was also an agent for social change, racial justice, and is remembered as a civil rights icon. We are proud to launch our commemorative series by honoring the valiant legacy of Muhammad Ali: The Greatest of All Time.”

Looking at the recent Wheaties box athletes, there has been a focus on the total person, not just the athletic achievement. When an athlete can use his voice to make change, those accomplishments have a longer lasting impact than the sports accolades that have earned all the cheers.

As shared by Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali’s wife, “Muhammad was a man of principle and strength, he fought against discrimination and injustice in their many forms. He was a voice for equality and justice for all. He would be honored to be the first athlete featured on the Wheaties Century Box so that his enduring wisdom, optimism and hopes can continue to affect emerging athletes and humanitarians.”

While some people will just buy a Wheaties box and happily eat a bowl of cereal as their way to start the day, hopefully a few moments will be taken to think about the athletes that grace the box. Even if you cannot throw the perfect pass, sink a 3-point shot or swim a 100 fly, everyone can make an impact in their day. Those six principles of “confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, spirituality, and respect” apply to everyone, but people have to act.

What difference are you going to make today? Can a bowl of Wheaties cereal put you on the path to greatness?