Barbie Celebrates Role-Model Athletes Who Have Broken Boundaries to Encourage Girls to Stay in Sports and Recognize Their Full Potential
Barbie brand honors the profound impact of sports in igniting confidence among young girls by:
- Honoring nine women in sports who have broken boundaries around the world with one-of-a-kind Role Model dolls
- Partnering with VOICEINSPORT to keep girls in sports through mentorship
- Introducing doll assortments highlighting fan-favorite careers in sports
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Barbie Celebrates Role-Model Athletes Who Have Broken Boundaries to Encourage Girls to Stay in Sports and Recognize Their Full Potential (Graphic: Business Wire)
Through initiatives like the
“Barbie is thrilled to continue the brand’s 65th-anniversary celebration by recognizing the impact of sports in fostering self-confidence, ambition, and empowerment among the next generation,” said
“Throughout my career, I’ve always been driven by the idea of shattering glass ceilings and staying true to myself, and Barbie’s mission couldn't resonate more deeply with that ethos,” said Barbie Role Model and American Professional Tennis Player,
The Barbie brand remains committed to empowering girls to pursue their interest in sports, encouraging their continued beliefs in their limitless possibilities by:
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HONORING NINE TRAILBLAZING WOMEN ATHLETES AROUND THE WORLD with one-of-a-kind Role Model dolls made in their likeness to celebrate the barriers they have broken for women in their respective fields.
Venus Williams (United States ): Tennis Player-
One of the most decorated Olympic athletes with four gold medals and the first woman in tennis to earn equal prize money at
Wimbledon ,Venus Williams has courageously persevered through countless obstacles to inspire social change within tennis and the sports industry at large.
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One of the most decorated Olympic athletes with four gold medals and the first woman in tennis to earn equal prize money at
Christine Sinclair (Canada ): Soccer Player-
As soccer’s greatest international scorer with 190 goals to her name,
Christine Sinclair has solidified her status as the most successful soccer player fromCanada [of all time].
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As soccer’s greatest international scorer with 190 goals to her name,
Mary Fowler (Australia ): Football Player-
At just 21 years old,
Mary Fowler has become a key player for the Matildas andManchester City football teams. She was selected for the FIFA World Cup in 2019 and became the team’s youngest player at 16 years old. Since then, she has been to two FIFA World Cups and the 2020Olympic Games .
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At just 21 years old,
- Estelle Mossely (
France ): Boxer- Crowned Olympic champion in 2016 and has won numerous professional and world amateur boxing titles.
Alexa Moreno (Mexico): Gymnast-
As Mexico’s first female world medalist in gymnastics,
Alexa Moreno is recognized byForbes Mexico as one of the 100 most powerful women inMexico .
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As Mexico’s first female world medalist in gymnastics,
Rebeca Andrade (Brazil ): Gymnast-
Olympic gold and silver medalist,
Rebeca Andrade is regarded as one of the best gymnast of all time. The Brazilian girl is a two-time World Championship champion and has won more than ten medals in World Cups.
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Olympic gold and silver medalist,
Susana Rodriguez (Spain ): Paratriathlon Athlete-
Born with albinism,
Susana Rodriguez began running at age 10 and has since become a barrier-breaking paratriathlon athlete. She has not only set records in her sport, but she doubled as a young doctor on the front lines amid the pandemic, earning her the cover ofTIME magazine in 2021.
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Born with albinism,
Federica Pellegrini (Italy ): SwimmerFederica Pellegrini , a former swimmer and Olympic gold medalist, is the first woman to break the 4:00 barrier in the 400m freestyle. Right after her last competitions in 2020, she got an important international recognition: election to theIOC Athletes Commission .
Ewa Swoboda (Poland ): Track andField Sprinter - Top ranked European sprinter Ewa Swoboda’s determination, talent, and fearless nature have served as a source of inspiration for young girls across the globe. She is a three-time European Indoor Championship medalist, as well as a World Indoor Championship medalist, holding the world lead of 7.01 seconds in the 60-meter race.
By recognizing athletes who have broken barriers for women in sports, Barbie hopes to help amplify the voices of women in sports to commemorate their accomplishments on and off the field.
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UNLOCKING MENTORSHIP FOR GIRLS IN SPORT WITH VOICEINSPORT
- To encourage girls to stay in sports, Barbie is extending its partnership with VOICEINSPORT, a global digital platform that connects and inspires girls and women in sports through mentorship, educational content, and expert services, to help support and empower the next generation of women leaders in sports to thrive. Through this partnership, Barbie and VOICEINSPORT will host inspirational virtual mentoring sessions with Barbie Role Models on the VOICEINSPORT platform, designed to encourage girls to pursue their interest in sports. The sessions will be free to attend and continue into 2025. Girls in sports ages 12+ may sign up at https://voiceinsport.com/barbie to unlock the free mentoring with Barbie Role Models and educational content.
"As a young girl and now a mother of a young girl in sports, unlocking access to professional athlete mentors on the VOICEINSPORT platform with Team Barbie is a dream come true,” said
The Barbie brand is continuing to commemorate its 65th anniversary throughout the year, with new celebratory offerings, including:
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NEW SPORTS DOLL LINEUPS AND PLAYSETS areavailable at retailto encourage the next generation of empowered women to explore a future in sports through play.
- The 2024 Barbie Sports Doll lineup includes a basketball player, boxer, tennis player and volleyball player featuring sports uniforms and equipment.
- The 2024 Soccer Doll Assortment includes four soccer players in a variety of uniforms, featuring a soccer ball, cleats and tall socks.
- The Gymnast Playset features a gymnast wearing a purple leotard and 10+ accessories including a balance beam, warm up mat, medal and gym bag.
- Barbie Inspiring Women
Kristi Yamaguchi doll honors theU.S. figure skating champion and Olympic gold medalist to inspire even more stories through play.
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MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE AT RETAIL with yearlong partnerships activating in-store and online to celebrate Barbie’s 65th anniversary.
- Walmart is releasing exclusive content from Barbie Role Model honorees
Katya Echazarreta andVenus Williams on social and digital channels, along with in-store Barbie displays across the country under the theme “65 Years of Inspiration, Dreams Made Here,” and new products across toy, apparel, accessories, sporting goods, and food and beverage. - Target is contributing a
$65,000 donation toThe Dream Gap Project to help girls continue to write their legacy, with a portion of the donation going directly to Girl Talk, an organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be leaders through peer-to-peer mentoring programs. Target guests will also be able to shop exclusive assortments of Barbie-themed apparel for girls featuring the Barbie 65th “Write Your Legacy” collection, explore the new collection of Barbie Fashionistas inspired by her most iconic looks over the decades and view exclusive behind the scenes content from Target designers at target.com/barbie. - Amazon has a Barbie 65th Brand Shop featuring Barbie-themed products including toys and apparel.
Mattel Creations is launching a capsule collection inspired by iconic looks across the decades beginning in 1959. Featuring new drops each month, fans can purchase exclusive celebratory 65th anniversary items from UNO Canvas™ Barbie to apparel, accessories, and more.
- Walmart is releasing exclusive content from Barbie Role Model honorees
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UNVEILING NEW BARBIE-THEMED COLLABORATIONS featuring 12+ brand partners across fashion, food, beauty, accessories and publishing for fans to continue the 65th anniversary celebration, including:
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OLIPOP, Ked’s, Random House Children’s Books, Assouline, CHI, FUNBOY,
Monnalisa ,Pottery Barn Kids , Yoobi, Aldo, The Frozen Farmer, Cheryl’s Cookies and Unique Vintage. -
To celebrate sports during Barbie's 65th anniversary, the brand teamed up with Nettie, the design-forward brand creating high-quality pickleball gear, to create a limited-edition bright and bold Barbie™ x Nettie collection, available at DICK’s Sporting Goods locations across the
U.S. , and online at www.playnettie.com.
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OLIPOP, Ked’s, Random House Children’s Books, Assouline, CHI, FUNBOY,
By amplifying the stories of trailblazers and championing the momentum surrounding women in sports, Barbie hopes that young girls can be inspired to stay in sports and pursue their passions.
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About
About VOICEINSPORT
VOICEINSPORT, the global sports company, provides a community-based platform for digital services in mental health, nutrition, sport science and mentoring from pro athletes to keep girls and women in sport. The VOICEINSPORT membership comes with free access to original articles written by women athletes, weekly podcasts, advocacy tools to drive change and a community forum. Paid services include a mentoring platform designed to increase the visibility to pro & collegiate athlete role models and access to both clinical & non-clinical sessions with the top 80 experts in sport psychology, sport nutrition and women’s health. Founded in 2019, VOICEINSPORT is based in NYC and is self-funded by sports industry Executive and Advocate
MAT-BARB
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News Media
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