Australia's very own Matildas star and soccer icon Mary Fowler has been honoured by Barbie with her very own Barbie doll, along with eight other trailblazing sportswomen in the lead up to the Paris Olympics.
At just 21 years old, Mary Fowler is a key player for the Australian national and Manchester City football teams. She was selected for the FIFA World Cup in 2019 - the team’s youngest player - at just 16 years old. Since then, she has been to two FIFA World Cups, the 2020 Tokyo Games and is currently preparing for Paris 2024.
Fowler worked closely with Barbie to create her doll - and made sure to include details like her hair, boots, and iconic goal-keeper gloves. “I wanted to have my Barbie doll replicate when I feel my most confident self, and that for me is when I’m on the pitch playing football," Fowler said in a statement.
"During the design process, it was really cool working with the team to ensure my look was brought to life in my Barbie. Being a positive influence, and seeing young girls recreate my look has been so special, and to finally hold my doll and see her wear my bubble braid, my gloves and even my boots, made my Barbie doll unique and connected to me.”
Fowler said that seeing her Barbie for the first time left her speechless. "I never would have thought that I'd have a Barbie that looks just like me," she says. "There are so many other incredible women that have been Barbie dolls, and I just never would have thought that I would be up there with them. I’m just super grateful and honoured to be part of this.”
When asked about the advice she has for girls aspiring to be athletes, Fowler said: “The advice I like to give to aspiring athletes is to not be afraid of making mistakes. I think it's a very normal reaction when you make a mistake to feel embarrassed, and you feel like everyone's watching you and everyone thinks 'Oh, you're so bad,' but, like, literally five seconds later no-one was thinking about it so it's just about being patient, and persistent with whatever it is that you're trying, and knowing that the only way you're going to get better at it is if you keep trying.”
Other trailblazing sportswomen to have a doll made after them include French boxer Estelle Mossely, Polish sprinter Ewa Swoboda, Spanish doctor and paratriathlon athlete Susana Rodriguez, Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini, Canadian soccer player Christine Sinclair, and Mexican and Brazilian gymnasts Alexa Moreno and Rebeca Andrade.