Olympic Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Just Got Her Very Own Barbie

The doll will be available in stores in 2018.
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Ibtihaj Muhammad just announced that Barbie is making a doll in her likeness.

The Olympic fencer announced on Monday at Glamour’s Women of the Year summit that she will be the next doll in Barbie’s “Shero” line which includes iconic women like Ava DuVernay, Gabby Douglas and Misty Copeland. Muhammad’s Shero doll will hit stores in 2018.

“I can’t believe this is happening honestly,” Muhammad told HuffPost. “It’s a pinch me moment.”

Muhammad first made headlines during the 2016 Summer Olympics when she became the first Muslim-American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States. She was also the first female, Muslim-American athlete to win a medal at the Olympics, bringing home the bronze for sabre fencing.

“Barbie is celebrating Ibtihaj not only for her accolades as an Olympian, but for embracing what makes her stand out,” Vice President of Global Marketing for Barbie Sejal Shah Miller said in a press release. “Ibtihaj is an inspiration to countless girls who never saw themselves represented, and by honoring her story, we hope this doll reminds them that they can be and do anything.”

Ibtihaj Muhammad celebrating after she won the women's sabre team semifinals in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Ibtihaj Muhammad celebrating after she won the women's sabre team semifinals in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Issei Kato / Reuters

Muhammad told HuffPost that this moment is surreal for her since Barbie was such a big part of her life growing up.

“My mom made efforts when I was a kid to bring dolls into the house that were only dolls of color,” she said. “So I only had brown Barbie dolls growing up and I think that was an effort made by my parents to see us reflected in the dolls we played with. It’s revolutionary to make all kids ― no matter your skin color, your gender, your ethnicity, your religious beliefs ― feel included.”

The 31-year-old added that she’s humbled to be in the company of the famous women in Barbie’s Shero line.

“It’s a very humbling experience to even be in the same sentence with these women,” she said. “I feel very proud and good about working with a brand that honors not just powerful women and women of color, but also a brand that honors women who are working to impact the global community, not just today but also in the future.”

Scroll below to see photos of Muhammad’s Shero Barbie.

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