Ibtihaj MUHAMMAD

During her career, Ibtihaj Muhammad was a trailblazer for Muslim women in sport.

The American fencer, born in New Jersey in 1985, became the first Muslim American Olympian to wear a hijab while competing for Team USA when she participated at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

In Rio, she also won a team bronze medal, the first hijab-wearing American Olympic medallist. Her achievements, and role in shining a light on the Muslim American community, saw her named as one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2016.

"I’m hoping just my presence on Team USA changes perceptions people have about the Muslim community," she said in 2016.

As an athlete, she did not come to fencing early, only starting the sport at 17.

In 2011, she won her first international medal, winning team bronze for USA at the World Championships. She subsequently added five more World Championships medals to her collection, including a gold.

But it was the Olympic bronze medal that really pushed her – and her religion and decision to compete wearing a hijab – into the headlines.