For more than 26 years, Dewey Bozella was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. In prison, Bozella channeled his frustration through boxing, which provided him a sense of focus and determination that he carried with him outside the ring. Bozella became a model prisoner: earning his GED, Bachelor's and Master's degrees, helping counsel other prisoners, finding love and getting married, and becoming the light heavyweight champion of Sing Sing Prison.
Over a quarter-century later, Dewey Bozella was released as an innocent man. Today, Dewey devotes his life to helping recently released prisoners integrate back into the world. He also returned to boxing by training kids and aspiring fighters. Dewey Bozella is the recipient of the 2011 Arthur Ashe Award for his courage to never give up fighting.
Arthur Ashe Award
The Ashe Award is one of the most prestigious in sports. Recipients reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost. The award is inspired by the life that Ashe lived, using his fame and stature to advocate for human rights, although, at the time, those positions may have been unpopular and were often controversial. From speaking out against apartheid in South Africa to revealing to the world his struggle with AIDS, Ashe never backed away from a difficult issue, even though doing so would have been easier. Winners of the Ashe Award strive to carry on Ashe's legacy in their own lives - - inspired by those who do so each day.
