Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad finds strength in peoples' doubt
Posted: January 21, 2022, 8:00AM"I think, as a black athlete, oftentimes, we have to be exceptional in order to be accepted," Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, 32, told Start TV. "I found strength in other peoples' doubt, in showing them how strong women can be." Watch the video above to hear her story.
New Jersey native Muhammad is the first Muslim woman to represent the United States and bring home a medal in the Olympic Games while wearing a hijab. She's a 5-time Senior World medalist and was the 2014 World Champion in the team event.
After discovering fencing at the age of 13, Muhammad joined her school fencing team and later joined the Peter Westbrook Foundation to train under the foundation's Elite Athlete Program. She received a scholarship to Duke University, was a three-time All-American as well as the 2005 Junior Olympic Champion, and joined her first national team in 2010. Currently, Muhammad ranks No. 3 in the country and No. 23 in the world. There was even a Barbie doll modeled after her in Mattel's "Shero" collection!
Watch the video below to find out the unusual source of Muhammad's strength as an athlete:
