When the World Starts to Look Like Me: Why Representation Matters
There are many ways to define an impossible-possible moment. Rather than a definition, the concept of the impossible becoming possible can be summarized as follows: while hard facts define today, new value is created only when the impossible becomes possible. It can be as large as the first human landing on the moon, or even as “small” as completing a recipe correctly after several failed attempts. Both actions contradicted the previous notion of what could or couldn’t be done, thus the impossible becoming possible.
A personal favourite impossible-possible moment was when Aries Susanti Rahayu broke the world record for women’s speed climbing, scaling a 49-foot wall in 6.99 seconds and breaking the previous record of 7.10 seconds. Nicknamed “Spiderwoman”, Aries is a hijabi woman and a force of nature in the world of professional climbing. In 2019, she ranked 3rd in Forbes Asia’s “30 Under 30”. As a hijabi woman who boulders regularly and is starting belaying, I was ecstatic at this news (for reference, a hijabi is defined as a Muslim woman who wears a headscarf, also known as a hijab).
Muslim women in sports are often sidelined, with many organizations banning athletes from wearing a hijab. One example of this was Noor Abukaram, a high school junior who was disqualified from her cross-country meet because she ran with her hijab. Similarly, the Iranian women’s national soccer team was forced to withdraw from their qualifying match for the 2012 London Olympics due to guidelines against their headscarves. Because of these and many other instances, it felt impossible to see hijab-wearing women in the world of sports—more specifically, it felt impossible to see them succeed. The lack of representation had discouraged me from pursuing sports when I was younger. Only recently, I decided to take up climbing as a means of keeping myself fit.
Since these instances, there have been calls for inclusivity from the Muslim community and many strides have been taken to do so, such as Nike designing an athletic headscarf. Many other Muslim athletes have also competed in several world arenas and medalled in their respective sports.
So while Aries is by no means the first and only athlete to wear a headscarf and be accomplished, it was the first instance I had personally come across that contradicted my previous belief that Muslim women couldn’t be represented in sports— much less in a sport I personally participate in myself. Because of this, Aries breaking the world record in women’s speed climbing was when the impossible became possible for me, which further motivates me to become a better climber.
Additional Information:
Hijab in Sports: How Muslim Women Athletes Are Fighting for Acceptance. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/hijab-in-sports-how-muslim-women-athletes-are-fighting- for-acceptance-115443/
Here’s What Hijabis Want You to Know About their Choice to Cover. https://www.allure.com/story/muslim-hijabi-women-talk-about-hijabs
‘Let Noor Run’ initiative aims to end discrimination in sports, starting with hijab bans. https://religionnews.com/2020/01/22/let-noor-run-initiative-aims-to-end-discrimination-in-sports-starting- with-hijab-bans/
‘Spider-woman’ Aries Susanti Rahuyu breaks world record in speed climbing. https://abcnews.go.com/International/spider-woman-aries-susanti-rahayu-breaks-world-record/story?id=66440077