The exchange begins with a question Muhammad has been asked before about Trump, who has proposed a ban on all muslim immigrants to the USA, and continues like an Abbott and Costello routine from there. Aside from her swordsmanship, Ibtihaj is also a big deal because she’s the first hijabi (a woman who wears the hijab, a traditional Islamic modesty veil) to compete for Team USA. However, one athlete from team U.S. is already making history against all odds. “And as a Muslim youth, I was looking for a sport where I didn’t have to alter the uniform in any way”, explains Muhammad, now 30.
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Muhammad has been a member of the United States National Fencing Team since 2010.
The Rio Olympics kick off Friday night, but one athlete from team US is making history before the games begin.
Muhammad ran us through the basics of sabre fencing, including how to take the flawless stance, the weapon, the attack and strategy. Yet her path to the Games would still turn out to be longer than most. “She’s used to things coming at her”, he says. She lived at home in New Jersey with her parents, and earned some money substitute teaching. Nevertheless, she strove to cement her place among the prestigious roster of athletes in 2012, though a torn ligament in her hand sidelined her ahead of the London Games. So Muhammad missed out on both.
She began covering in high school as part of her faith.
Yet her career continued its upward tick.
Sophia Velikaya of Russian Federation (sabre) was also a runner-up in London who has since ascended atop the world rankings, one spot ahead of Zagunis. She now ranks No. 2 in the country and No. 8 in the world.
From there, she has rapidly become one of the most recognized Olympians on the planet. After several stories involving Muslims being barred from boarding planes, Muhammad revealed she had harbored fears of suffering a similar fate during qualifiers for Rio. While she is a legitimate contender at the Games, Muhammad is well aware that her trip to Rio is about more than medals.
Ibtihaj Muhammad (left) competes with Tunisia’s Hela Besbes during a women’s team sabre qualifying match at the 2011 World Fencing Championships in Catania, Italy. “It’s ridiculous and we as a country have to change and I feel like this is our moment”, she said. “I wanted them to know that there were no boundaries to the goals that they set for themselves.
When Team USA marches into the next Olympics, one of the Americans waving the red white and blue will be a fencing champion wearing her hijab – Ibtihaj Muhammad, who is here today”, President Obama acknowledged her achievement earlier this year. “They’re creating a space where it’s acceptable to speak out against immigrants, to speak out against Muslims and to really publicize this inherent racism that I feel a lot of people have”.
Ibtihaj Muhammad is an accomplished young woman with dual Bachelor’s degrees in worldwide relations and African-American studies. ESPN praised her for speaking against racism and religious bigotry.
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“When I heard that there had never been a Muslim woman on the US team to wear the hijab, that is when I made this conscious decision to go for 2016”, Muhammad told CNNMoney. She also would have been the second straight women’s fencer chosen. And, at this point, it seems like little is out of the question for Muhammad.
