Juashaunna Kelly isn’t a speed skater, but for the Muslim high school track star who runs the mile in a little over five minutes, wearing a speed skating uniform—covering her head, arms and legs—is the only way she can stay true to her religious beliefs and also compete in the sport she loves. Kelly, who has worn the modified uniform through her high school career, was recently disqualified from a Washington, D.C., invitational because race officials claimed her uniform did not comply with regulations.

The story appeared on the front-page of the Washington Post, raising questions nationwide about the line between playing rules and religious beliefs. Standards governing religion and sports are sticky, often extending beyond issues of dress to more complex questions of education, tolerance, diversity and sometimes health.

Juashaunna Kelly with her teammates in October. She has the fastest mile and two-mile times of any girls' runner in D.C. this winter. (The Washington Post).

Kelly collapsed last fall after running nine miles in intense heat with her head, arms and legs covered. The problem was made worse when Kelly refused water or food because she was fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which prohibits eating or drinking from sunup to sundown.

While the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations (the group that governs standards for high school sports across the country) allow uniforms to be modified if they conflict with a competitor’s religious standards, some suggest simply allowing the modifications doesn’t go far enough. In a recent Associated Press article, basketball player Dewnya Bakri said there’s an opportunity and a need for education and tolerance.

Wearing the hijab—the traditional head scarf worn by Muslim women—while playing in a high school basketball game in Michigan, Barki said she was called a terrorist and told to “go back to her own country.” Some schools are accustomed to the hijab, Barki told the AP, but other schools find it odd or different.

"After Sept. 11, they feel like we’re a threat to them, even though we didn’t have anything to do with it. So they look at us differently," she said.

Wearing the hijab during competition is a trend that seems to be increasing. According to the AP article, “Muslim girls wearing the hijab on the court, track or field is rising because girls are growing more comfortable pursuing mainstream activities while maintaining religious traditions.”

Recently the issue garnered international prominence when Asmahan Mansour, an 11-year-old Muslim girl, was removed from a soccer field in Quebec because the referee said her hijab violated the equipment rule prohibiting clothing that could cause harm to the participant or others. In this case, the referee claimed Mansour could have been strangled by the extra clothing. Upholding the referee’s decision, FIFA, the international group governing soccer, left hijabs to the discretion of individual referees.

In the end, girls like Kelly, Mansour and Barki are just like every other athlete that dreams of competing at the next level. Unlike their peers, however, they may have a limited chance to showcase their talents.

If Kelly hadn’t been disqualified from the invitational in Washington—where she was a favorite—she would have qualified for the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York. The disqualification meant that the girl in the speed skating uniform couldn’t showcase her 1,600-meter time of 5 minutes 17.49 seconds and 3,200-meter time of 12:00.81 to college recruiters from around the nation. Instead, recruiters will simply have to settle for reading about the dedicated athlete that refuses to be anything but different.