https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxL3k9SP1pI
It was just last week that Mattel (MAT) released three new Barbies — each with a different body type — to be sold alongside the original model in order to demonstrate the shifting of beauty ideals in today’s society. Now, the toy company has revealed another addition to the lineup: an Abby Wambach doll. The retired soccer star was on hand at the MAKERS 2016 Conference in California when the Abby Barbie was unveiled. She spoke about how she loved playing with the dolls growing up, but didn’t always identify with the way they looked.
Congrats @AbbyWambach, @Barbie doll just revealed by @Mattel at #MAKERS2016! Diversity is crucial. #TheDollEvolvespic.twitter.com/fJE0O6p5fE
— UN Women (@UN_Women) February 3, 2016
Read More: How Barbie Got Curvy: Inside the Radical Remake of an Icon
“You guys may not believe this but I was a Barbie kid, like for real. I’m not just saying that,” said the two-time Olympic champion. “I think this is a really impactful statement…It just proves that we really are getting somewhere. Not everybody is created equal and if you’re out there and maybe your doll doesn’t look exactly like you feel, here’s another option.”
The doll is part of Barbie’s “Shero” Collection, which seeks to honor real life women who, “like Barbie, have broken boundaries, challenged gender norms and proven girls can be anything they want to be.”