Legendary Canadian soccer player Christine Sinclair is now immortalized with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll that looks just like her.
Mattel, Inc., the maker of the iconic dolls, celebrated Barbie's 65th anniversary by recognizing nine athletes from around the world who broke barriers for women in sports, including the Canadian soccer legend, with role model dolls made in their likeness. Only one doll modelled after each athlete exists, so they aren't for sale.
"When I first saw it I was like, "Holy moly, that's me!" Sinclair, 40, said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Wednesday.
Sinclair, who hails from Burnaby, B.C., said she hopes sharing stories of women in sports can pave the way for future generations of athletes.
"As an athlete, it was never a thought in my wildest dreams that I'd be immortalized with an iconic doll," Sinclair, who retired last year, said in a press release. "The significance of this aligns with my hope of inspiring young girls to never give up on the sport they love or anything they might want to achieve."
Sinclair has become an icon in her sport, winning an Olympic gold and two bronzes with Team Canada. She was named Canada Soccer's Female Player of the Year 14 times, and was named the Player of the Decade in 2019. With 190 goals, she is the all-time leading goal scorer in international football for both men and women. Moreover, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017. She was inducted to Canada's Walk of Fame in 2013.
The other trailblazing women honoured with their own doll include American Olympic tennis champion Venus Williams, Mexican gymnast Alexa Moreno, Brazilian gymnast Rebecca Andrade, Spanish paratriathlon athlete Susan Rodriguez, Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini, Australian football player Mary Fowler, French boxer Estelle Mossely, and Polish track and field sprinter Ewa Swoboda.
Since 2015, Barbie has been honouring women who have broken boundaries and paved the path for the next generation of women, Michelle Haalstra-Marijan, Barbie brand manager for Mattel Canada, said.
"There are so many amazing women that we are excited to be honouring this year," Haalstra-Marijan said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Wednesday. "One of the things that we truly love about Christine Sinclair is that she aligns with Barbie's brand values. She's a huge supporter of women in sports and she really champions success on and off the field. And together we hope to inspire the next generation of female athletes."
Although only one doll is made in the athletes' likeness, she said it is "the highest honour" from the Barbie brand.
Canadian country superstar Shania Twain also recently had a Barbie modelled after her. She was among eight women to get a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll in their likeness for International Women's Day back in March, The Canadian Press reported.
