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Renowned Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi is getting her own Barbie doll in honor of AANHPI Heritage Month.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Mattel will release the doll in time for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May as part of Barbie’s Inspiring Women Series.
In 1992, Yamaguchi became the first Asian American to win an individual gold medal in ice skating at the Winter Olympics.
“My life’s work – whether on the ice or off through my advocacy at Always Dream – has been driven by my personal mission to inspire new generations of athletes, students and activists,” Yamaguchi said in a statement per Good Morning America.
Yamaguchi also shared a photo of the doll on Instagram. The doll is wearing a black and gold skating leotard while holding a bouquet of flowers.
Yamaguchi also spoke about the significance of releasing the doll for AAPI Heritage Month.
“I think for AAPI Month, it’s all about shining the spotlight on the Asian-American culture and celebrating it, and celebrating the stories and the triumphs and some of the hardships too,” she said in an interview with PEOPLE. “But I think that it’s meaningful to the community to have positive stories out there and symbols to inspire the next generation — or even [to encourage] the current generation to persevere and to go after their dreams and know that it’s possible. If it’s happened before, it can happen again. Even if it hasn’t happened yet, they can blaze their own trail. It’s a huge honor and it’s a lot of pride being able to have it showcased during AAPI Month.”
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