Amreen Kadwa didn't set out to build a nonprofit. She set out to find people like her: Muslim women who played sports and understood what it felt like to walk into a locker room and wonder if you belonged.
In this episode of This Being Human, host Mai Habib talks with Amreen about the winding road from rugby pitches in Toronto to founding Hijabi Ballers, an organization that's grown from a single Facebook post into a multi-sport community reaching thousands of women across the GTA and beyond.
They dig into what changes when an athlete finally sees someone who looks like her on the field, how a bad injury became an unexpected turning point, and why partnerships with brands like Nike and the Toronto Raptors matter—not for the validation, but for what they make possible. Amreen also shares the simple piece of advice she gives every coach and ally who wants to do right by Muslim women athletes: stop guessing what they need, and ask.
The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of This Being Human.
Guest Bio
Hijabi Ballers was founded in 2017 by Amreen Kadwa, a young Muslim rugby player who felt isolated by the lack of hijab-wearing role models in sport. After connecting with other Muslim women athletes and realizing many shared similar experiences of exclusion, she created a space for community. A single Facebook post quickly connected her with dozens of women, leading to the first Hijabi Ballers Sports Festival, which drew over 200 participants. The success of that event showed the need for inclusive, dedicated spaces for Muslim women in sports.
Today, Hijabi Ballers is a non-profit organization that empowers Muslim girls and women through safe, inclusive sports programs that support both athletic and leadership development.
Links & Resources:
Key Moments
0:20 Intro to This Being Human and Hijabi Ballers
1:21 Finding herself through rugby in high school
5:48 An injury, a recovery, and the founding of Hijabi Ballers
10:00 Creating a space where every Muslim woman belongs
13:13 Going international: Nike, hate comments, and the app's rise and end
17:10 The ten programs running today, from hockey to rugby
19:42 Welcoming non-Muslim friends into the space
21:43 Inside the Coaches Toolkit: \"ask your athlete\"
24:59 Nike, the Raptors, and the rise of modest activewear
27:08 A decade of cultural change and Amreen's message to allies
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