Tennis great Venus Williams is officially a Barbie girl living in a Barbie world.
On Wednesday, May 22, Mattel announced that in celebration of their iconic Barbie doll's 65th anniversary, the brand will "will honor nine athletes around the world," including Williams, with their own "one-of-a-kind role model doll made in their likeness."
"Knowing that girls involved in team sports are more likely to believe they are smart enough for their dream career, have high opinions on their abilities and competencies, increased leadership aspirations and enjoy higher levels of self-confidence, Barbie is bringing together these inspiring stories that are shaping the future to show girls that anything is possible if you relentlessly pursue your passions," the brand announced in a press release.
Williams said that Barbie's mission aligns with her own personal and professional goals.
"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,” Williams said in the same press release. “I’m honored to be recognized as a sports role model and join forces with Team Barbie to continue empowering the next generation of young girls to never stop believing in their dreams.”
Mattel says that "by recognizing athletes that 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."
"The sports one-of-a-kind role model dolls serve as an embodiment of our shared values of passion, empowerment and individuality," Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls for Mattel, said in a press release. "By shining a light on these inspirational athletes and their stories, we hope to champion the belief that every young girl deserves the opportunity to pursue her passions and turn her dreams into reality.”
The announcement comes in the wake of a historic year for women's sports, especially women's NCAA basketball. After becoming the highest-scoring player in NCAA history—and helping to bring in a record-breaking 18.9 million women's championship game viewers—Caitlin Clark inked a $28 million Nike deal as a WNBA rookie.
Meanwhile, two-time WNBA champion A'ja Wilson is now an official Nike signature athlete, landing herself her own coveted Nike sneaker.
"I'm so glad that we're ready for the moment," Wilson recently told Marie Claire. "We're not new to this. We're true to this.'"
"So it's really, really, just been amazing just to be a part of this growth, and just to flourish within it," she continued. "Now all eyes are on us. Now we can really perform."
The announcement that Williams will be forever memorialized in Barbie form comes just one month after the tennis great told People that she''ll be releasing a new health and wellness book, titled STRIVE, on Sept. 10.
“As an athlete, I know the perseverance and consistency it takes to accomplish your goals and get true results. With STRIVE, my goal is to share the tips and tricks that helped me in my own personal wellness and nutrition journey,” Williams said.
“These are the tools that kept me from burning out on a lifestyle that I wanted and believed in, a lifestyle that helped me feel confident, powerful and capable."
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