American Olympian Ilona Maher makes the leap from the rugby field to toy store shelves as the bronze medalist is given his own signature Barbie doll on Monday.
Maher has gained popularity on social media in her last two Olympic appearances, taking her sport to new heights in a country where rugby rarely breaks into the mainstream. She won her bronze as part of the US team in Paris.
“It will be really real when I give it to a young girl,” said Maher, one of the most recognizable figures in her sport. “So they can enjoy Barbie, see themselves in Barbie, then I think it will bring tears to my eyes.”
Mattel's Maher Barbie doll will go on sale next year.
Using her signature red lipstick and braided ponytail, Maher insisted that the doll have broad shoulders and a muscular body, furthering her mission of body positivity.
“We wanted to see that in Barbie and they did a great job with it. I mean, she went to the gym,” she told Reuters.
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“I just wanted to make sure that I was seen in Barbie and that I was proud to give it to someone else so they could feel like they saw themselves in it too.”
The 29-year-old praised the manufacturer's attention to detail as the doll looked ready to play with knee pads and replica Adidas boots.
Three other rugby players – England's Ellie Kildunn, New Zealand's Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and France's Nassira Conde – will also be immortalized as dolls in celebration of the International Day of the Girl, although Maher's doll is the only doll that will be available in retail stores in autumn 2026.
“Barbie is the epitome of beauty and femininity. And that's what we saw every day,” Maher said.
“I want that when girls play with this and see my Barbie and her broad shoulders and big arms, it can also kind of shape their view of beauty.”
