THIRTEEN OLYMPIC STORIES - story 9

Nawal El Moutawakel

13 Medal-Worthy Olympic Stories (cont)
By Ethan Trex
August 14, 2008

9. The Hurdler Who Made History for Muslims, Africans, and Women

Talk about Cinderella stories. After spending her childhood running through the streets of Casablanca, Morocco’s Nawal El Moutawakel used her speed to earn a track scholarship to Iowa State University where she won four individual Big Eight titles. In 1984, she became the only woman on the Moroccan team at the Los Angeles Olympics.Moutawakel blew away her competition in the 400-meter hurdles, handing Morocco its first gold medal. At the same time, she also became the first Muslim woman and the first African woman to win a gold medal. As she ran her victory lap with a large Moroccan flag in hand, her elated countrymen back home poured into the streets of Casablanca in the middle of the night.As a national hero, Moutawakel has used her celebrity to help other women in sports. Although Morocco largely supported her career, she knew women in other Islamic countries weren’t so lucky. One of her greatest triumphs has been organizing a women’s 10k race in Casablanca, which now draws more than 27,000 participants. As Morocco’s Minister for Youth and Sports and a major player in the International Olympic Committee, Moutawakel led the task force that chose London as the site for the 2012 Games. She has summed up her triumphs by saying, “My athletic race was the 400-meter hurdles, but it has been a metaphor for my life … You have to get over the hurdles and keep running.”