Rugby star Ilona Maher two-time Olympian, Dancing with the Stars aluma social media favorite and now a Barbie doll.
Mattel announced Monday that it has assembled a team of four international rugby athletes to help girls embrace their confidence and stay in the sport. New Team Barbie Campaign – Celebrate International Day of the Girlwhich is October 11th.
“We all doubt ourselves from time to time,” Maher said in a statement. “If sharing my story can inspire other young girls to have the same belief in themselves that I have, then I have truly made an impact. Being part of Team Barbie is about showing girls that confidence is not something to be shirked, but something that can be.”
Also part of Team Barbie are Ellie Kildun from the UK, New Zealand's Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Nassira Conde from France.
Breakout Star 2024 Paris Olympics Even before the rugby sevens team Historical Bronze MedalMaher became known for her social media videos, which provided a humorous look into the daily life of an Olympic athlete. She has also used her platform to promote women's empowerment, face positivity and help raise the profile of rugby in the USA.
Barbie doll versions of international rugby stars Ellie Kildun, left, Ilona Maher, Nassira Conde and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.
(Mattel)
“As women, a lot of times our body has been this object to be looked at and objectified, and I hate that there are girls who feel like they don't have a purpose for their body and so they want to constantly change,” Maher said last year. “To play sport, and in a sport like rugby, a sport like canoeing and athletics gives your body a purpose, shows you what it can do and what it's capable of. It’s not just something that’s meant for others.”
As part of its campaign, Mattel conducted research to try to better understand why girls tend to stop participating in sports. The study found that only 53% of girls aged 6 to 14 feel confident playing sport, and that 1 in 3 girls stop playing sport by age 14, “primarily due to body confidence issues, self-doubt and a lack of visible female role models.”
“In Barbie… [w]”E'Re is inspired to break down the barriers—from gender stereotypes to self-doubt—that hold girls back from realizing their limitless potential,” said Christa Berger, senior vice president of Barbie, in a press release for the new campaign.
The Team Barbie campaign isn't the first time the company has caught the attention of athletes. Last year, Barbie teamed up with WNBA Icon Sue Bird as part of it 65th Anniversary CelebrationPaul Barbie also teamed up with Chicago sky for Barbie themed play days In the last two WNBA seasons.
Other athletes Barbie honored last year included tennis. Venus WilliamsFootball stars Christina Sinclair and Mary Fowler, boxer Estelle Mosseli, gymnasts Alexa Moreno and Rebeca Andrade, Paratriatle Susana Rodriguez, swimmer Federica Pellegrini and sprinter Eva Svoboda.
