Amna Al Haddad is a weightlifter from the United Arab Emirates who for the past two years has been training in Akron for the 2016 Olympic qualifiers held in April.  

Al Haddad says she hasn't experienced any discrimination from Akronites during her time here. She says Midwesterners are typically very friendly and hospitable.

Al Haddad says she doesn't pay much attention to the anti-muslim political rhetoric surrounding this year's presidential campaign. 

"There will always be things that divide people - religion, culture, color," but she says, "the one thing that does not divide people is sports."

"Sports bring us together," says Al Haddad, "and if we focus on being together in that sense and the commonalities that we have instead of our differences, all of these issues will dissolve."