Ahsen Nimet Cebeci is a Turkish-American Princeton University undergraduate and a member of the university’s Varsity Openweight Women’s Crew team. She is also an active member of the Princeton Muslim Student Association. She spoke with AltMuslimah to tell us about some of the social and spiritual challenges she has met on campus as a student, a varsity athlete, and a Muslim. 
Did your parents ever give you a hard time for wanting to engage in competitive sports?
When I first started rowing in ninth grade my Dad hinted that it might get in the way of my schoolwork, but when it became clear that there was no negative impact he was fine with it. The flexibility of my coaches on the issue of my unique dress code also made my parents much more comfortable with the idea.
Can you explain the modifications you have made to your uniform and any challenges you met because of these changes?
During races all the rowers have to wear matching Princeton unisuits. I wear full length and long-sleeved spandex underneath the unisuit. My coaches have been incredibly supportive of me when it comes to the way I choose to dress. They often have to let the officials at races know the situation so that they do not create an issue about my not matching exactly. My teammates have also been great. One thing to consider is that I do not wear the headscarf yet. I am not sure how that would change the situation, whether it would be more difficult or whether I would meet with the same level of respect.
When rowing in high school, did you ever feel like you were at a disadvantage because of your Muslim identity?
I have always felt extremely thankful for my open-minded teammates and coaches. They have never once made me feel uncomfortable adhering to my religious beliefs. I have been told from time to time by coaches that I am not aggressive enough so I sometimes think that as a Muslim my views don’t really align with the extreme competitiveness involved in varsity sports. At the same time, however, there are aspects of athletics (discipline, dedication, good sportsmanship) that mesh well with my Islamic beliefs. Workouts are a little more difficult wearing long sleeves and pants, as opposed to the sleeveless spandex top and short combo more typical of rowing. But the physical things are easy to adapt to.
Does your practice schedule affect any religious obligations?
I have practice six days a week, all year. I have to fit in my prayers on time, which can be difficult while running in between classes. As an athlete this is particularly true of ‘Asr and Maghrib prayers, which during different times of the year coincide almost exactly with my practice. I would sometimes have to find myself a quiet corner of our boathouse locker room and pray there on a clean towel.
So college sports are at a much higher intensity level than high school?
Socially there was a big change – the team culture is extremely different. In high school your teammates are your classmates. In college, your teammates eat, socialize, and live with you. The bonds are stronger, but so are the expectations, athletically and socially.
Spiritual considerations connected to my sport also became more complicated for me in college. The issue I faced was justifying devoting so much of myself to a physical activity—which was certainly rewarding in a lot of ways but not always spiritually so. As Muslims we try to do whatever we do for the sake of Allah, to please Him. I had trouble fitting rowing into that picture. I had to change the way I thought about my sport, to refocus my intentions. I began to think of rowing as a way to gain discipline and to hone self-control. What my coaches told me about “mental toughness” became connected to my religion.
Have you ever felt pressured to do something you were uncomfortable with in the name of the game?
This, while it might seem superficial, is one of the most difficult challenges I faced as a Muslim athlete. As a collegiate varsity athlete, it is crucial that you become an integrated part of your team. Practically speaking, it is a necessity – if you cannot find your place on a team you have promised four years to, it adds a form of stress to your life that can hurt you athletically, academically and spiritually. That being said, my religious responsibilities come far before these considerations on my list of priorities.
Partying (and the inevitable drinking that always comes along with it) is a part of the team social life. When I first met and started socializing with my teammates I explained to them that I don’t drink for religious reasons. They were completely respectful of this, as they had been of the way I dress, as they had been of every aspect of my religious practice. But even in these tolerant circumstances, I still felt the strong social pressure to come to the big crew celebrations and go out with my teammates. They encouraged me to come, not drink, and participate in whatever I was comfortable with. I have not been able to find the perfect solution to this problem. I would sometimes go to the events, stay for the “longstanding crew traditions,” and I would just duck out before the heavy drinking started. A better solution I found was spending more time with my teammates outside of these partying situations. This issue is still a work in progress for me.
Can you describe what the dating scene looks like from a Varsity athlete’s and a Muslim woman’s perspective?
Committed romantic relationships—or any sort of romantic relationships— are rare on our campus when both parties concerned are sober. Luckily enough, not drinking leaves you out of this cycle, so I have never experienced any problems with it.
How do you find time to be an active member of the MSA with your demanding crew and course schedule?
I value certain experiences and I prioritize according to that. To me the MSA is one of those things that are often worth more than the hours you would have spent studying instead.
Rowing adds a degree of structure to my life; practice times and races are inflexibly lodged into my schedule. But other than that, in college I have the freedom to really focus on what I care about. Sometimes I worry that my grades suffer at the expense of everything else, but somehow I still find time to procrastinate while studying so I can’t possibly be that busy. During times of stress prayer helps a lot.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge of being a Muslim student juggling school, sports, and Islam?
I think the most difficult part is probably staying true to myself as a Muslim. It involves understanding and at the same time protecting your character, figuring out your weaknesses and working to correct them.
What advice do you have for other girls who are struggling with similar issues?
Put everything into perspective. As Muslims we have the gift of an amazing big picture view of this world and the hereafter. I know I would go crazy if I couldn’t stop every once in a while and understand the truly insignificant, passing nature of my problems, and how thin a sliver of time they represent in comparison to the infinite stretch of time Allah sets before us in the hereafter.
Sheeba Arif is a contributing editor to AltMuslimah.
