Nawal El Moutawakel took just 54 seconds to go from the “dark to the light” when she became the first Muslim woman from Africa to win Olympic gold in the 400 metres hurdles at the 1984 Games. The 56-year-old Moroccan has since forged a successful career as a sports administrator having twice been Minister of Sports, and is an influential member of both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Association of Athletics Federations. “I consider myself a role model with my other Olympic champions back home in Morocco,” she told AFP. “I could have stayed and spent most of my life enjoying my glory of 1984 but no, that’s wrong.
