“I was really nervous and scared” - Fisk University gymnast Naimah Muhammad on her journey to becoming a top name in the game

American Gymnast from Fisk University Naimah Muhammad has been appearing in the headlines due to her flawless routines. Earlier in January 2023, the 20-year-old gymnast had registered her name as the first HBCU gymnast to compete with a Black university in North America.

Speaking with Olympics.com, Muhammad revealed how she felt before her performance at the NCAA Super 16 competition in Las Vegas. She said,

"I was really nervous and scared. But after the first tumbling pass, I knew I had the rest of the routine. When it ended, I kinda got emotional because I didn't even think about it as me making history, I just cared about how I started my team off. I wanted to keep the energy up for my team."

More than the statistics, the routine symbolized something far greater: the accomplishment of a goal Muhammad had had for years. The 9.600 score was the that made her the second-highest in her team's rotation.

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Naimah Muhammad opens up about her journey

The New York native opened up about how she wanted to become a successful gymnast and wanted to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She was motivated to join the university after seeing Beyonce perform at Coachella in 2018. With her brother and sister both being alumni of the prestigious institute, she garnered even more interest in joining.

Naimah Muhammad had to decide between her passion for gymnastics and attending an HBCU before Fisk University offered women's gymnastics for the 2022-23 academic year.

But soon after Fisk University was announced to host an NCAA gymnastics meet, she did not have to choose between anything. She said that she got everything she wished for. She also said that she wanted to showcase her Muslim beliefs in the way she wanted.

Naimah Muhammad is used to pursuing her goals despite obstacles. Her athletic career actually began with figure skating. But, she claims, that did not last long.

She got bored with figure skating and switched to gymnastics. She revealed that the figure skating dress-up limited her a lot and in gymnastics, she had the freedom to follow her beliefs.

"I partially chose ice skating because when we were looking into it, it was a sport that they wore tights that cover their legs. Their costumes are really modest for the most part."

When Naimah Muhammad used to practice, she used to wear leggings. Initially, that was not a problem, but as she went higher in the level, she had to face issues.

Muhammad was compelled to request a special exception from USA Gymnastics in order to compete in tights, and she was granted one. Later, she would have to replicate this for the NCAA competition.

She added that she did not want to choose between gymnastics and her beliefs:

"I wasn't going to sacrifice one thing for another, and if that's the case, I just wouldn't do gymnastics because what I believe is more important than anything else. And if I really do love gymnastics the way I love what I believe in, I'm going to incorporate what I believe into what I do."

Naimah Muhammad has now got what she wants and looks forward to teaching others a lesson. A long illustrious career is ahead of her due to her fighting spirit.