Olympic-bound fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad speaks out about wearing a hijab while competing

Come August, fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad will head to Rio de Janeiro and become the first U.S. Olympian to represent the nation while wearing a hijab.

The Muslim-American athlete told a story Monday on The Players' Tribune about being asked to remove her hijab — or "hat," as the volunteer called it — at South by Southwest. Muhammad said she tries to shrug off those moments, rather than letting them stand in the way of her goals.

"I feel as though my hijab is liberating in the sense that it allows people to see me for my thoughts and my voice, as opposed to something superficial," she said. Watch the whole video below. Julie Kliegman

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