Ibtihaj Muhammad 1st to Compete in Hijab

Muhammad, a saber fencer, already made history when she became the first Muslim woman to compete for the U.S. She started fencing at age 13 after being introduced to the sport by family. Zagunis and Muhammad will remain first and second through April 11, when the points standings conclude and the entire 2016 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team is named.

Zagunis, 30, who won Olympic gold in women’s saber in 2004 and 2008 and served as the United States’ flag bearer at the 2012 London Olympics, rallied to win her final match Saturday against Russia’s Sofya Velikaya.

An American women’s saber fencer will make history at this year’s 2016 Rio Games by becoming the first US athlete to compete at the Olympics in a hijab, or Muslim headscarf, after earning a bronze medal at a qualifying event over the weekend.

The three-time All-American from Duke University was one of several Muslim community leaders who sat down with Obama for a roundtable discussion about the state of Islam and Islamophobia in the United States before his speech. The Maplewood, N.J., native qualified for the NCAA Fencing Championships three consecutive seasons, highlighted by taking sixth as a junior in 2006. “There weren’t things that me or my friends would wear”, she said past year. ‘I don’t think it’s a good representation of the U.S., or of society as a whole’. “It’s been a trend throughout my athletic career: I set small goals, then once reached, I set a new one”.

“Historically, it’s always been a white sport reserved for people with money”, she said.

‘As a Muslim female, the sport was uniquely accommodating. I felt that it was something the squad needed.

Muhammad has amassed a bevy of team and individual medals since her first world cup appearance at 23.

When she isn’t busy racking up medals, Muhammad occupies herself running Louella, an online clothing boutique she founded that sells “modest, fashion forward” apparel.

Athletes all across the world are gearing up for this year’s Summer Olympics in Rio.