Ibtihaj Muhammad
| Ibtihaj Muhammad | |
|---|---|
Ibtihaj Muhammad in 2014
|
|
| Personal information | |
| Country represented |
 United States
|
| Born |
December 4, 1985 Maplewood, New Jersey, US |
| Residence | New York, New York, US |
| Weapon(s) | Sabre |
| Hand | Right |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 66 kg (146 lb; 10.4 st) |
| Club | Peter Westbrook Foundation |
| Head coach(es) | Ed Korfanty |
| Personal coach(es) | Akhi Spencer-El |
| FIE Ranking | Current ranking |
Ibtihaj Muhammad (born December 4, 1985) is an American sabre fencer, and a member of the United States fencing team. She is best known for being the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics. In individual sabre at the 2016 Summer Olympics, she won her first qualifying round bout, and was defeated in the second round by Cécilia Berder of France. She earned the bronze medal as part of Team USA in the Team Sabre, becoming the first female Muslim-American athlete to earn a medal at the Olympics.
Muhammad was born and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, a suburb 25 miles (40 km) from Manhattan, and is of African-American descent. Her parents were born in the United States, and converted to Islam. Her father, Eugene Muhammad, is a retired Newark, New Jersey police officer, and her mother, Denise, was an elementary school special education teacher. She has four siblings.
In accordance with their belief in what was proper dress for a Muslim woman, Muhammad’s parents sought out a sport for her to participate in in which she could be fully covered and wear a hijab.
Muhammad attended Columbia High School, a public high school in Maplewood, graduating in 2003.
In 2007, Muhammad graduated from Duke University with dual bachelor's degrees in international relations and African and African-American studies.
At Columbia High School, she joined the school fencing team at age 13, fencing under coach Frank Mustilli, now the head and owner of the New Jersey Fencing Alliance. Mustilli had her switch weapons, from épée to sabre.
In late 2002, Muhammad joined the prestigious Peter Westbrook Foundation, a program which utilizes the sport of fencing as a vehicle to develop life skills in young people from underserved communities. She was invited to train under the Westbrook Foundation's Elite Athlete Program in New York City. She is coached by former PWF student and 2000 Sydney Olympian Akhi Spencer-El.
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