Where Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad got her start

Where Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad got her start

Ibtihaj Muhammad was still in high school when she walked into Peter Westbrook's fencing boot camp in Manhattan. Today, she made history as the first U.S. athlete to compete in a hijab during the Olympics.

Now in Rio, Muhammad has become one of the most passionate voices at the Olympics, as she tries to change misconceptions others might have about Muslim-Americans. When she returns from the games, she'll resume mentoring kids on Saturdays at the Peter Westbrook Foundation.

Since 1991, Westbrook, a five-time Olympian and bronze medalist, has trained kids from all over the New York City region. In 2003, he told 60 Minutes that that he wasn't a likely candidate for the sport.

"There were no fencers in my neighborhood...I never saw an African-American fencer in my life," Westbrook said. "I tell the kids, 'Look at me. If I can make it, a guy from the inner cities, dirt, dirt poor, single-parent home, not a pot to hmm in. If I can make it, all of you surely can make it without a doubt,' and they believe that."

Muhammad won her first round today, but lost her second. She competes again this Saturday in Rio.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.