Meet the First American Olympian To Compete in a Hijab

Thirty-year-old Ibtihaj Muhammad, a fencer from New Jersey, has just secured a spot on the US Olympic team. That means that in the 2016 Brazil Olympics, she will become the first American to compete in hijab.

Happy to announce I've joined the Dick's Sporting Goods Team as a sponsored athlete! Thanks @dickssportinggoods for helping my @TeamUSA dreams come true #RoadtoRio #GritBeforeGold 🇺🇸

A photo posted by Ibtihaj Muhammad (@ibtihajmuhammad) on Jan 5, 2016 at 11:29am PST

According to an article in USA Today, the modest uniform required of the sport helped originally persuade her family to allow her to compete when she was in high school.

In addition to fencing, Muhammad also owns a women’s clothing company called Louella, which sells modest and affordable clothing for Muslim women.

You can follow her Olympic journey on Instagram here.