1st Olympian To Compete In Hijab For U.S. To Speak At ISU

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) -- An Olympic medalist who became the first athlete to compete for the United States while wearing a hijab will be the featured speaker during an upcoming event at Illinois State University.

The university says fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad of New York will speak at the Muslim Cultural Dinner on April 3 in the Bone Student Center.

As a member of the U.S. National Fencing Team, Muhammad helped Team U.S.A.'s women's fencing team win the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

She wrote a memoir that was published last year titled "Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream."

The university says Muhammad "inspires others to challenge the status quo as a powerful symbol of America's tolerance and diversity."

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