4 hijabi sporting warriors to know

this point,” she said.

The topic of depression also came up. “In the United States it’s very taboo to talk about depression. Everyone just tells you to pray and you’ll feel better, but I don’t think it’s as simple as that. I had to break down the sadness I was feeling. The trick was to tackle it head on, instead of shoving it down. Asking for help is what allowed me to be here today,” she added. Mohammad also revealed the true nature of many coaches she came across during her career to qualify for the Olympics.

“I met and worked with many coaches who were misogynist, who didn’t believe in women, who don’t think that we have a place in sports. I have come across national coaches who have tried to pigeon hole me as a black athlete, which means they focused on my strength, and assumed that I had no tactical thinking. Their racism and bigotry preceded them,” the sportswoman said.

“People will always try to break you. Don’t let it infest, speak to someone. Put self-care first,” she added.

“I learn to focus on the people who help me and I just block out the haters.” weight lifter

The 27-year-old was the first Emirati female to compete in the Reebok Crossfit Games Open in 2012 and gained recognition for being the first hijabi to compete at CrossFit Asia. Al Haddad was introduced to CrossFit in April 2011 and by October she had started training with Candice Howe, the co-owner of local franchise Reebok CrossFit LifeSpark Dubai. Howe is also the winner of the Reebok CrossFit Asia Regional competition where she was crowned ‘fittest woman in Asia’.

ballerina

Australian Muslim convert Stephanie Kurlow always dreamt of being a ballerina. She grew up in the suburbs of Sydney and began dancing at the age of two. Kurlow ended up quitting ballet when she was having trouble finding a school that accepted her wearing a hijab. Kurlow then launched an online campaign to raise money for private classical ballet tutoring so that she could train while wearing the hijab.

boxer

Amaiya Zafar is a 16-year-old amateur boxer. She has been training for over two years and has a lot of love for boxing. So much love, that it overpowers any hardships that come with the diverse sport. Zafar lives in Oakdale, Minnesota. She fought hard for two years to get a waiver that allows her to participate in amateur fights while wearing a hijab.

figure skater

Zahra Lari was only 12 when she started figure skating. It was just a hobby then, and she usually practiced once a week. Years later and Lari is now the first Emirati figure skater to compete internationally, and the first woman to take part in an international figure skating competition wearing a hijab. She is 22 years old today and skates six days a week at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, for an average of six hours and has taken part in several competitions around the world.