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Birth
Ibtihaj Muhammad, who has been recently been recognized for her multiple accomplishments, was born on this date. She is a proud American from New Jersey, currently living at the age of 30 (Meet Ibtihaj Muhammad, First US Olympian Who'll Compete In A Hijab | TODAY 00:04:55). -
Childhood / Family Upbringing
Ever since middle school, Ibtihaj Muhammad had to play sports and stay active because that is what her parents valued most. It was instilled in her as a priority from an early age. She tried multiple sports such as volleyball, track, tennis, and softball (Exclusive! The History-Making Olympic Fencer 00:05:13). However, in the end, none of the revealing uniforms or team mates were very supportive of her because of her faith of Islam. -
Fencing
One day at age 13, Ibtihaj and her mom drove past some high school girls playing fencing. Her mom encouraged her to try fencing in high school because the uniform is modest and the sport is unique (Meet Ibtihaj Muhammad, First US Olympian Who'll Compete In A Hijab | TODAY 00:04:55). Ibtihaj Muhammad listened to her mom and decided to pursue fencing in high school and beyond. She practiced so much, that she became professional and played for Team U.S.A. in the Rio Olympics 2016. -
Public speaking for justice
After she graduated college in 2007, she became involved in standing up for justice. Recently, she supported the black lives matter movement, refugees, and defended local Muslim communities by playing for Team U.S.A. in the Olympics (Muhammad.20 August 2016). She did this along with her friend Dalilah Muhammad (Muhammad.19 August 2016). It took a lot of courage and her goal is to clarify misconceptions of these groups. She is now a very good role model to the American youth and others. -
Louella fashion clothing line by: Ibtihaj Muhammad
Not only did she successfully accomplish her dreams of fencing by being in the Olympics, but she was also successful based on her passion for fashion. She always had a ¨girly¨ side of her besides playing sports. She wanted to make a modest fashion clothing line for women, since she faced challenges of finding modest uniforms for the sports she played. She and her siblings started a fashion clothing line called Louella (Exclusive! The History-Making Olympic Fencer 00:05:13). -
Ibtihaj Muhammad makes history
Ibtihaj Muhammad made it so far in fencing practice, that she was ranked 2nd best sabre fencer of the U.S. and 12th best in the world (Muhammad.19 August 2016). She and her team mates for Team U.S.A. won the bronze medal in the Olympics. She made history by being the first woman to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics (Booher). She was also the first woman to wear a hijab to win a medal, making her one of the 100 most influential people of the U.S. in TIMES magazine (Booher). -
FUN FACT
Here is a picture I took when I met Ibtihaj Muhammad at an annual convention called ISNA, that is typically held in Rosemont building in Chicago. She talked about her experiences and did a great talk for the youth that being seen as a ¨minority¨ by being Muslim should not matter. She mentioned that we should pursue our dreams in this great country, and that we should not let any obstacles get in our way.
