After earning a bronze medal in the Athens World Cup on Saturday [January 30, 2016] New Jersey native Ibtihaj Muhammad mathematically secured her spot on the 2016 Olympic team. The announcement of the official roster will not come until April 11, but the 30-year-old will become the first U.S. athlete to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab.
In her journey to obtaining a spot on the US team, Muhammad was a dominant force in the fencing circuit, claiming a silver medal at a World Cup event in 2013, seven team World Cup medals while being part of a team that took home the gold in the 2014 World Championships.
An owner of her own clothing line called Louella, Ibtihaj is no stranger to success. While attending Duke University where she graduated with degrees in International Relations and African-American studies, she was a three-time All-American. This is truly an inspiring story, since this phenomenal athlete almost joined the team for the 2012 Olympics but was forced to withdraw due to tearing her ligament in her hand. We’ll be rooting for Muhammad to bring home the gold.