Rugby star Ilona Maher is a two-time Olympian, a “Dancing With the Stars” alum, a social media favourite and now a Barbie doll.
Mattel introduced Monday that it had assembled a staff of 4 worldwide rugby athletes to help encourage girls to embrace their confidence and keep in sports. The new “Team Barbie” marketing campaign is to rejoice International Day of the Girl, which is Oct. 11.
“We all doubt ourselves at times, myself included,” Maher stated in a press release. “If sharing my story can inspire other young girls to believe in themselves the way I have, then I’ll have truly made an impact. Being part of Team Barbie is about showing girls that confidence isn’t something to shy away from, but something to own.”
Also a part of Team Barbie are Ellie Kildunne from the U.Ok., New Zealand’s Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Nassira Konde from France.
A breakout star on the 2024 Paris Olympics even earlier than the rugby sevens staff’s historic bronze medal, Maher turned recognized for her social media movies that supplied a humorous glimpse into the day-to-day lifetime of an Olympic athlete. She has additionally used her platform to empower ladies, champion physique positivity and help increase the profile of rugby in the U.S.
The Barbie doll variations of worldwide rugby stars Ellie Kildunne, left, Ilona Maher, Nassira Konde and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.
(Mattel)
“As women, a lot of times our body has been this object to be looked at and to be objectified, and I hate that there’s girls out there that feel like they don’t have a purpose for their body, and so they want to change it constantly,” Maher instructed The Times final yr. “To get into sports and a sport like rugby, a sport like canoe, and track and field gives your body a purpose, shows what it can do and what it’s capable of. It’s not just something that is for others to judge.”
As a part of its marketing campaign, Mattel performed a examine to attempt to higher perceive why girls have a tendency to cease taking part in sports. The analysis discovered that solely 53% of girls ages 6 to 14 really feel assured whereas taking part in sports and that 1 in 3 girls stops taking part in sports by age 14 “primarily due to body confidence concerns, self-doubt, and a lack of visible female role models.”
“At Barbie … [w]e’re committed to breaking down the barriers — from gender stereotypes to self-doubt — that hold girls back from realizing their limitless potential,” Krista Berger, the senior vp of Barbie, stated in a information launch for the brand new marketing campaign. “By showcasing the stories of incredible role models whose confidence has fueled groundbreaking success, we’re showing girls that the future of sports — or wherever their passion takes them — is theirs to claim, with Team Barbie cheering them on.”
The Team Barbie marketing campaign shouldn’t be the primary time the corporate has put the highlight on athletes. Last yr, Barbie teamed up with WNBA icon Sue Bird as a part of its 65th anniversary celebration. Barbie has additionally teamed with the Chicago Sky for Barbie-themed game days in the final two WNBA seasons.
Other feminine athletes Barbie highlighted final yr included tennis participant Venus Williams, soccer stars Christine Sinclair and Mary Fowler, boxer Estelle Mossely, gymnasts Alexa Moreno and Rebeca Andrade, paratriathlete Susana Rodriguez, swimmer Federica Pellegrini and observe and subject sprinter Ewa Swoboda.