It’s not a matter of one or the other for this Olympic fencer.
She’s the first American Muslim woman to represent her country at the Olympic Games, so we tend to pay attention to what Ibtihaj Muhammad says about training.
And we’re in luck, because the bronze medallist has just opened up about how she keeps training while fasting through Ramadan.
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In a new episode of the BuzzFeed podcast See Something Say Something, Muhammad says it’s never been a question.
“So, I’ve spent my entire life trying to balance training and Ramadan,” she says.
“And for me, those…. in doing those two things simultaneously — observing the fast and also training, sometimes for really really important competitions for me — there was never a moment of doubt of like, ‘Oh! I don’t think I’m going to fast for this Ramadan.'”
For a dedicated athlete like Muhammad, it’s a given that she’ll make it work, but the rest of us can learn from her attitude. It’s just about planning, balance, and paying attention to your body.
Elsewhere in the podcast, Muhammad opens up about how she struggled with feeling different as a young girl. Eventually, she says, it became a strength.
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“I think that you have an easier time just being yourself and existing and not having to conform,” she tells BuzzFeed.
“I can’t really try to fit in because I’m always gonna be this black chick with a hijab, right? So it’s like, whatever, I’m gonna do my own thing.”
We think that’s a pretty solid attitude whether you’re an athlete or not.
No wonder they made a Barbie doll in Muhammad’s image. We like her style.
Images: Getty
