Name: US Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad's career in 360° VR | The Female Planet | Episode 4
Uploaded: 2020-03-25T10:50:59.000Z
Duration: 6 min 13 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD: Winning a medal at the Olympics

Modal verbs - B1

should have been the proudest moment of my life.

it was me that was representing Team USA.

Many people close to me didn't think I could do it.

Just qualifying was actually my biggest achievement.

There were some who even tried to stop me

Each knockback became a catalyst to excel.

I told myself every day I was a champion, over

I could give you the sugar-coated version

But it's important that everyone, especially little

black girls and little Muslim girls, see what I've achieved

No matter what obstacles are in front of you,

if you believe in yourself, you can make it happen.

Sport has always been a big part of my life.

I played volleyball, track, and softball.

As a whole, my hometown, Maplewood, New Jersey,

was pretty accepting of my family as Muslims.

But I do have these peppered moments throughout my childhood

But in any of the sports that I've played,

my mom and I have always adjusted the uniforms to fit in

long sleeves underneath my tops or adding

One day I was driving past this high school with my mom

and she noticed fencers inside dressed in all white.

She said, I'm not sure what sport that is,

but when you get to high school, I want you to try it out.

When I discovered fencing, it was the first time in my life

I had the opportunity to wear the same uniform

and soon started to compete with other local high schools.

I was often the only black kid in the room

and the first Muslim that people had ever met.

I felt like a stranger in my own country.

Most people don't see past the hijab, but I'm not oppressed.

My decision to wear the hijab is my choice,

And I've channeled that pride into another passion,

I've since started my own clothing company, Louella,

making affordable, fashionable, modest clothes for Millennials.

I now split my time between Los Angeles and New York,

and I'm really focused on expanding the company.

in my weapon to represent the United States national team.

Being African-American comes with historical baggage.

You have to be exceptional, oftentimes, to be accepted.

smart enough to think tactically through a fencing match.

Just before the Olympics I arrived at a point in my life

where I refused to change parts of myself

I decided I would be unapologetic about who

I was as an African-American woman and as a Muslim woman.

I always felt I had more to give the world than just

as a Sports Ambassador, which gave me the opportunity

I spent a long time playing with dolls as a kid.

but I never had a doll that came with a hijab.

When Barbie asked if they can make a doll in my likeness,

Now girls everywhere, both Muslim and non-Muslim,

can play with dolls who choose to wear a hijab.

I feel so proud of what I've achieved, but I'm not done yet.

If I had allowed other people's misconceptions

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US Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad's career in 360° VR | The Female Planet | Episode 4

opportunity

journey

realize

motivation