Iman Blow

“I Aspire to Inspire the Champion in Myself and Others”

Iman Blow

Iman Blow is a Columbia University graduate and former world-class athlete who is passionately committed to mental health education and performance development. She will be matriculating into medical school in the summer of 2025, following a multifaceted journey that has combined elite athletics, academic excellence, and a dedication to service.

While an undergraduate at Columbia, Iman pursued a pre-medical track and earned her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. Her education was deeply interdisciplinary—studying philosophy to explore what it means to live a good life, psychology to understand human behavior and community, and biology and neurobiology to examine how our bodies and brains sustain us. This academic foundation sparked a lifelong passion for STEM and its intersection with human potential and well-being.

Iman applied this knowledge directly to her athletic career, competing as a Division I varsity athlete in fencing and representing Team USA on the world stage. At Columbia, she earned nearly every accolade possible, including three NCAA Championship titles and the university’s career athlete honor. Internationally, she became a 4x Junior World Championship medalist, a 7x World Team member, and a member of the first Women’s Foil National Team to achieve a world #1 ranking. Her career culminated in becoming an Olympic Alternate for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Throughout her decade-long journey as both an athlete and educator, Iman has remained focused on empowering others. She has served as a coach and mentor while managing an award-winning pre-medical and athletic career. During her time working at a psychological and psychiatric private practice, she further deepened her understanding of mental health and human performance.

In May 2020, she launched the Aspire to Inspire Initiative, through which she has hosted over a dozen virtual webinars and interviews focused on mental health, representation, and student-athlete education.

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Iman believes that there is a champion in everyone—and that a champion is someone who lives in a way that inspires both themselves and others. Through her life’s work, she aspires to inspire you.

Achievements

Awards and Accomplishments for Athletics, Leadership, Community Engagement and Academic Excellence

  • Columbia University Alumni (B.A. Biological Sciences CC’19)

  • 2020 Tokyo Olympic Alternate

  • 3x NCAA All-American and 3x NCAA Champion

  • Deans List at Columbia University

  • NCAA Top 10 Athlete Award (2019)

  • 4x World Team Member and 4X World Championship Medalist

  • Member of the first U.S. Women’s Foil Team to Reach a World Senior World #1 Ranking (2019)

  • Multiple-time National, Regional, and World Cup Champion

  • First Black Women to win a Division I NCAA Women’s Foil National Championship title

  • First Black Women to Win an Individual National Title for Columbia University

Professional Experience

Academics

B.A. in Biological Science, Columbia University 2015-2019
Medical Student, David Geffen’s School of Medicine at UCLA Class of 2029

Education and Performance Consulting

Performance Consultant (High School), Riverdale Athletics 2020-2021            

Performance Consultant (College), Notre Dame University, Yale University, Columbia University 2022 

Performance Consultant (Club), North West Fencing Center, Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Center 2022-2023

Course Instructor and Moderator, Aspire to Inspire Initiative 2020- Present

International and National Guest Coach, 2015- 2019 

Elite/Professional Sports

Olympic Alternate, United States Olympic Team, Summer 2021
Professional Athlete, Team USA 2014-Present 3X All American Division I Athlete, NCAA 2015-2019

Media & Production

Production Assistant for the 2021 Olympic Games, NBC Olympics Summer 2021

Talent for a National TV & Social Media Campaign, Doritos 2019                                                                                                                                                                            

Featured Athlete for a Social Media Projects, Lululemon 2020-2022                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Brand Ambassador, Lululemon 2020-Present

Healthcare Administration & Research

Patient Coordinator, Mind Body Psychiatry 2021- Present
Research Assistant, BlueSleep Sleep Center Summer 2017-2019

Finance

Corporate Securities Intern, Fortress Investment Group 2019-2020