If you’re trying to figure out how Ibtihaj (IB-tee-haj) Muhammad defied the stereotypes to become one of the world’s fiercest fencers — she’ll be the first American to wear a hijab while competing for the U.S. when the Rio games open next week — you may not have to go any further than this mundane tale.
Back in March, she was pulling up to her sister’s Faizah’s apartment in Brooklyn and saw a parking spot open. She waited, signaled and was preparing to pull in when a truck stole the spot. She backed up and began yelling, only calming down at the urging of her sister, who has become accustomed to taming Ibtihaj’s competitiveness.