THE FIRST FEMALE MUSLIM AMERICAN TO MEDAL AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
NAMED ONE OFTIME'S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
Growing up in New Jersey as the only African American Muslim at school, Ibtihaj Muhammad always had to find her own way. When she discovered fencing, a sport traditionally reserved for the wealthy, she had to defy expectations and make a place for herself in a sport she grew to love.
From winning state championships to three-time All-America selections at Duke University, Ibtihaj was poised for success, but the fencing community wasn't ready to welcome her with open arms just yet. As the only woman of color and the only religious minority on Team USA's saber fencing squad, Ibtihaj had to chart her own path to success and Olympic glory.
Proudis a moving coming-of-age story from one of the nation's most influential athletes and illustrates how she rose above it all.
IBTIHAJ MUHAMMADis a fencer and the first Muslim American woman in hijab to compete for the United States in the Olympic Games. She is also the first female Muslim American to medal at the Olympic Games, winning bronze in the women's saber team event. Named one of
TIMEmagazine's 100 Most Influential People In the World, she serves as a sports ambassador for the U.S. State Department, cofounded Athletes for Impact and the clothing company Louella, and inspired the first hijabi Barbie in her likeness.
LORI L. THARPSis the author of
Same Family, Different Colors, among other books. Her writing has also appeared in the
New York Times, Washington Post, Glamour,and
Essence.
What a clear-eyed and amazing memoir.... I plowed through it.... Ibtihaj's story is at once so deeply personal and amazingly universal.
Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Brown Girl Dreaming and Another Brooklyn Her story is inspiring anlq
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