Arab-American Month: Meet Sarah Attar and Isra Girgrah Wynn
When you know where to look, you’ll come to realize that there’s a month or a day dedicated to almost everything. We just had Earth Day on April 22, May is National Mental Health Awareness Month as well as many other observances, and May 23 is World Turtle Day.
World Turtle Day. We’re not even kidding.
With all of the observance options available, it’s impossible to keep up with every one of them. However, there’s one we want to make sure you don’t miss: April is Arab-American Month, and it’s not too late to get in the spirit and make new discoveries!
First, it’s important to understand the term Arab...or rather, to realize that the Arab identity is very tricky to define. From Wikipedia
“An Arab can be defined as a member of a Semitic people, inhabiting much of the Middle East and North Africa. The ties that bind Arabs are ethnic, linguistic, cultural, historical, nationalist, geographical, political, often also relating to religion and to cultural identity.”
While TeachMideast.org explains:
“Arab is an ethno-linguistic category, identifying people who speak the Arabic language as their mother tongue.” (Learn more.)
Although definitions vary, just a little research makes it clear that being Arab isn’t tied to just one nation, culture, or ethnic group. People who identify as Arab come from many places and a wide variety of backgrounds. That’s why when meeting someone who is Arab, it’s best to avoid making assumptions about their culture or nationality. The US is home to nearly 3.5 million Arab-Americans.
And some of them happen to be world-class athletes, including Sarah Attar and Isra Girgrah Wynn! Read on to find out how these two fine heroes have left their mark on sports.
Sara Attar, Track & Field
Sarah Attar was born in California in 1992 to her American mother and Saudi Arabian father. She’s a dual citizen of America and Saudi Arabia.
Her love for track and field began flourishing during her high school career, where she competed in cross country running. She went on to Pepperdine University and in 2012 was one of two students at the university to be selected to compete in the Summer Olympics.
This is where things get interesting.
Previously, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had banned women from competing in the Olympics. As the 2012 Olympics neared, the International Olympics Council (IOC) faced increasing pressure from human rights groups and women’s interest groups to ban Saudi Arabia from the Olympics due to their exclusion of women. Through the urgings of the IOC and discussions among the political and religious leaders of Saudi Arabia, at last the ban on women athletes was lifted. (You can read more on that here and here.)
That’s how in 2012, Sarah Attar became one of the first two women to ever enter the Olympics under the Saudi Arabian flag. Trailblazer and queen!
Attar ran in the 800 meter race, an event she had not competed in since high school. Attar’s fellow female athlete that year, Wojdan Shaherkani, was born in Saudi Arabia and competed in judo.
In 2016, Attar was selected again as an Olympic representative, this time for the marathon.
In both 2012 and 2016, Attar’s participation caused controversy and opposition. Of course, that’s all in a day’s work for a woman who’s busy breaking glass ceilings in the sports world.
Attar also happens to be a stunning photographer! You can follow her on Instagram.
Isra Girgrah Wynn, Boxing (Lightweight Class)
Isra Girgrah was a 5’4” tall ball of fury in the boxing ring. (Note: She now goes by Isra Girgrah Wynn but was Girgrah at the time she boxed professionally. We refer to her by her current name.)
Born in Yemen in 1971, her family moved to Canada in 1974. In high school, Wynn competed in both soccer and volleyball, later discovering boxing in 1994 and falling in love with it. After graduating college, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia.
Wynn proved to be natural at boxing. In 1998, at 27 years old, she won the IBF Lightweight Title. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The wins kept coming:
2001: Won the UBA Lightweight Title
2001: Won the IWBF Junior Lightweight Title
2002: Won the WIBF Lightweight Title
2003: Won the IFBA Lightweight Title
Wynn retired in 2004 with a professional record of 28-3-2 (11 K.O.s). After retiring, she became a full-time fight promoter with her husband, Marty Wynn. She’s gone on to tackle a variety of businesses with her husband, including real estate management, construction, trucking, and health and wellness. She has published several fitness books and a fitness DVD set. Wynn is a certified Nutrition Consultant and Holistic Health Professional.
Because of her fierceness, Wynn was nicknamed the “Raging Beauty.” We only wish we could look as cool as Wynn does when she’s glaring!
For Wynn’s complete biography, visit Women’s Boxing.
Identity in Athletics
Some coaches and trainers say that when you hit the field — or the ring, or the rink, or wherever you compete — that you leave everything else behind. They claim that in sports it’s about ability, and nothing else matters.
Here at Raymer Strength Foundation, we think a little differently. Your identity helps make up everything about you, and it has the power to drive you to do those ten extra push-ups, take that extra lap, and lift just a few more pounds.
So bring your entire self, everything that motivates you.
Fight hard and show your true strength — and true self — with pride!