Venus Williams is one of nine athletes recognized by Mattel for Barbie's 65th anniversary
Tennis star Venus Williams is being immortalized with her own Barbie doll, along with eight other athletes, as Mattel celebrates the 65th anniversary of its most famous toy.
The new dolls are Mattel's way of recognizing "the impact of sports in fostering self-confidence, ambition and empowerment among the next generation," said Krista Berger, Mattel senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls, in a news release.
Williams, who owns a home in Jupiter Island, said throughout her career she's been "driven by the idea of shattering glass ceilings.
“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," Williams said in Mattel's news release.
Who is Venus Williams?
Venus Williams, 43, is an international tennis champion who has won some of the biggest events in her sport, including seven Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles with her sister Serena Williams and two Grand Slams mixed.
Williams was born in Lynwood, California, and in 1991 the Williams family moved to South Florida for Venus and Serena Williams to attend a tennis academy. Three years later, in 1994, Venus Williams went pro.
In 2019, Venus Williams purchased a $9.6 million mansion in Jupiter Island, an exclusive community tucked away in Martin County.
What athletes are being recognized with their own Barbie?
The other athletes who now have Barbie dolls in their likeness are gymnasts Rebeca Andrade from Brazil and Alexa Moreno from Mexico; soccer players Mary Fowler from Australia and Christine Sinclair from Canada; French boxer Estelle Mossely; Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini; Spanish para triathlete Susana Rodriguez; and Polish track-and-field runner Ewa Swoboda.
The nine athletes represent nine home countries.
When was Barbie made?
The Barbie doll was created by Ruth Handler, who saw how limited her daughter's toy options were — she could play either play being a mother or a caregiver, according to Barbie Media. However, her son's toys were a stark contrast. She saw he could imagine himself a firefighter, astronaut, doctor and more.
Barbie made her debut March 9, 1959, at the New York Toy Fair. The first Barbie featured the plastic doll in a black-and-white, one-piece bathing suit, white sunglasses and ponytail.
Following her debut, more items in the Barbie universe were released throughout the 1960s through 1980s, such as Astronaut Barbie, CEO Barbie, Barbie's Dreamhouse and the first Black and Hispanic Barbies.
Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @gonthescene.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Venus Williams gets her own Barbie as Mattel recognizes athletes
