The Book of Gutsy Women by Hillary Rodham Clinton & Chelsea Clinton

Author:Hillary Rodham Clinton & Chelsea Clinton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2019-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

“I wanted to challenge the narrative that Muslim women are meek and docile and oppressed. Being unapologetically Muslim, black, a woman… Either you like it or you don’t, and I don’t really care either way.”

—IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD

Ibtihaj has always recognized her importance as a role model to other young Muslim women and women of color, particularly those drawn to fencing. Rather than feeling weighed down by that responsibility, she is spurred on by it. As she has often said, “Never allow anyone to dictate your journey.” At the Rio Games, she became the first hijab-wearing Muslim American to win an Olympic medal, taking the bronze as part of the team sabre event. I remember watching Ibtihaj and her team win while breastfeeding Aidan, my then almost two-month-old son. The triumph and joy Ibtihaj felt was palpable through the television screen, thousands of miles away. I later learned that her mantra is “I’m ready. I’m prepared. I’m strong. I’m capable. I’m a champion.” That conviction was visible on her medal-winning day in August 2016, and it still is today.

After the Olympics, Ibtihaj kept fencing, kept pushing herself into new territory, and kept shattering stereotypes, including through her frank discussions about her battles with anxiety and depression. In her 2018 memoir, Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream, Ibtihaj wrote about how, in 2014, after she qualified for the U.S. National Fencing Team, she would wake up on the mornings of competitions exhausted, even after a good night’s sleep. During competitions, she often felt lethargic, like she couldn’t move her arms and legs. She knew something more than nerves was happening, and she sought out her team’s sports psychologist, who explained that her physical fatigue was the result of performance anxiety. She conquered this hurdle the way she overcame others in her path, with hard work and focus. Every morning, she did thought exercises and spent time meditating and in prayer. I have no doubt that her candor and courage in sharing this part of her Olympic journey will help others—athletes and nonathletes alike—feel more comfortable with discussing their challenges and with seeking the help they need.

In 2017, Ibtihaj hit a new milestone when she got her own Barbie doll as part of their Shero series. She helped design the Barbie, the first ever to wear hijab, and when it went on sale in 2018, it quickly joined Charlotte and Aidan’s toy box. Our family is eagerly awaiting her first children’s book, The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family, which is due to be published in 2019. After years of not being able to find clothing that was both modest and fashion-forward, she started her own clothing line in 2014. She remains a marquee member of the U.S. National Fencing team and a vocal supporter of human rights and democracy. When asked whether she would ever consider running for office, she answered, “Honestly, I had never thought of it before. But I’m also one of those people who thinks they can do anything.

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