From WENN.com

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the chairman of the National Constitution Center, named the retired sports great as the 2012 honouree on Thursday (05Jul12).

He said, ""Ali embodies the spirit of the Liberty Medal by embracing the ideals of the Constitution - freedom, self-governance, equality and empowerment - and helping to spread them across the globe.""

Ali, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, will be presented with the prestigious medal at a special ceremony at the National Constitution Center on 13 September (12).

Previous recipients of the award include filmmaker Steven Spielberg, U2 rocker Bono and South African civil rights icon Nelson Mandela.