Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Trains For The Olympics While Fasting For Ramadan

Olympic athlete Ibtihaj Muhammad has kept up her fencing training, even while she’s fasting for Ramadan.

“It’s a lot of trying to find what, you know, combination of rest and liquids and, you know, protein,” she explained. “It’s like trying to find that balance in order to compete and train my best.”

The African American Muslim fencer became the first women to wear a hijab while competing on any U.S. Olympic team. Currently, she’s training for the 2020 summer games and is publishing her first book in July 2018 — all while observing Islam’s holy month of fasting, Ramadan.

“For the last few years I’ve spent Ramadan abroad in different parts of Europe,” she stated. “I’ve fasted in London, Ukraine, and in these different places and sometimes the days get super long.”

The hours of fasting can get challenging, but she hopes her story resonates with all women and helps shift perceptions about Islam:

“My journey transcends, you know, past just the Muslim community. Being one of the only Muslim women in my sport has always been difficult. Being the first women of color to represent, you know, the women’s sabre team at the Olympic Games — that was also very meaningful for me.”