WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — In 1983, Nawal El Moutawakel received an athletic scholarship to attend Iowa state. She achieved success pretty quickly, winning a national title in the women's 400m hurdles in 1984 and placed fourth in the 400m.
That summer, El Moutawakel would go on to make history for the sport and for her country of Morocco. Her dream of competing in the Olympics became a reality.
She competed in the inaugural women's 400m hurdles at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. With a time of 54.61 seconds, at just 22 years old, El Moutawakel captured Olympic gold. It was the first for any Cyclone track athlete and the first for Morocco.
She also became the first Arab, African and Muslim woman to win Olympic gold. El Moutawakel was not only an Olympic champion, but a trailblazer for Muslim and Arab female athletes.
El Moutawakel retired at the young age of 25, but wanted to continue empowering women in her country and around the world. She went on to become the minister of sport in Morocco and Vice President of the International Olympic Committee. El Moutawakel was inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997 and is still an active member of the IOC.
Winning the gold changed her life and put her on track to a greater purpose -- to inspire and empower.