Ibtihaj Muhammad | OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Early Life

Ibtihaj Muhammad was born on December 4, 1985, in Maplewood, New Jersey. She grew up in a large African American Muslim family with four siblings. As a young girl, her parents searched for a sport where she could compete while wearing modest clothing that covered her body, which is part of her Muslim faith. When her mother drove past the high school fencing team practicing one day, she noticed that fencers wore long jackets, gloves, and masks that covered almost everything. That moment changed Ibtihaj’s life forever, because she started fencing at age 13 and quickly fell in love with the sport.

Rise in Fencing

Ibtihaj became a standout fencer at Columbia High School in Maplewood and earned a scholarship to Duke University. At Duke, she competed on the varsity fencing team and was a three-time All-American in saber fencing. After college, she continued training and joined the United States national fencing team. She climbed the world rankings and won medals at several international competitions. Her hard work and talent made her one of the top saber fencers in the country.

Making Olympic History

In 2016, Ibtihaj Muhammad made history at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She became the first American Muslim woman to compete in the Olympics while wearing a hijab, a headscarf worn by many Muslim women. She competed in the individual saber event and then helped the U.S. women’s saber team win a bronze medal. Her achievement inspired millions of people around the world, especially young Muslim girls who had never seen someone like them on the Olympic stage. TIME magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world that year.

Beyond the Sport

Ibtihaj has used her platform to inspire children and promote inclusion. She wrote a children’s picture book called The Proudest Blue with her sister S. K. Ali, which tells the story of a young girl proudly wearing her hijab on the first day of school. In 2018, the toy company Mattel created a Barbie doll in Ibtihaj’s likeness, making it the first Barbie to wear a hijab. She also started a clothing company called Louella by Ibtihaj Muhammad that designs modest fashion for women. Through her writing, speaking, and activism, Ibtihaj continues to show young people that they can be proud of who they are while chasing their biggest dreams.