IDEAS FESTIVAL 2016 celebrates the talent and creativity of our community.
Wednesday, April 6
7:00 pm at the Woodland
IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD will be representing the United States in the 2016
Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero. She is the first U.S. athlete to
compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab and made history several years
ago when she became the first Muslim woman to compete for the U.S in
fencing.
Muhammad grew up in Maplewood and started fencing at the age of 13.
She competed on the Columbia High School and Duke University fencing
teams, is currently second in USA Fencing's national team point
standings and will compete in both the individual and team events.
She earned a bronze medal at two of the three World Cups held this
fencing season, claimed the silver medal at a World Cup stop in 2013,
and has seven team World Cup medals. She has also been part of the U.S.
teams that have medaled at the past five World Championships, including
winning gold in 2014.
Muhammad has dual Bachelor's Degrees in International Relations and
African and African-American Studies from Duke University and also
attended the School for International Training in Morocco, where she
completed courses in Moroccan culture and intensive Arabic.
She represents the Peter Westbrook Foundation,
an organization founded by Olympian Peter Westbrook to mentor
inner-city kids through the sport of fencing. Muhammad is also an
entrepreneur, and founded a clothing company to fill a void in the fashion industry for affordable modest clothing.
Muhammad says that fencing has taught her how to aspire higher,
sacrifice, work hard and overcome defeat, and she strives to prove that
nothing should hinder anyone from reaching their goals -- not race,
religion or gender. She wants to set an example that anything is
possible with perseverance.
