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 crew of 4 worldwide rugby athletes to assist encourage women to embrace their confidence and keep in sports activities. The brand new “Team Barbie” marketing campaign is to have a good time Worldwide Day of the Lady, 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.”
Additionally a part of Workforce 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 crew’s historic bronze medal, Maher grew to become identified for her social media movies that provided a humorous glimpse into the day-to-day lifetime of an Olympic athlete. She has additionally used her platform to empower girls, champion physique positivity and assist elevate the profile of rugby within 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 Instances 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 carried out a research to attempt to higher perceive why women are inclined to cease collaborating in sports activities. The analysis discovered that solely 53% of ladies ages 6 to 14 really feel assured whereas enjoying sports activities and that 1 in 3 women stops enjoying sports activities by age 14 “primarily due to body confidence concerns, self-doubt, and a lack of visible female role models.”
The Workforce Barbie marketing campaign isn’t the primary time the corporate has put the highlight on athletes. Final yr, Barbie teamed up with WNBA icon Sue Chook as a part of its sixty fifth anniversary celebration. Barbie has additionally teamed with the Chicago Sky for Barbie-themed recreation days within the final two WNBA seasons.
Different 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 area sprinter Ewa Swoboda.
