Dipa Karmakar Barbie Doll

Gymnastics Champion, INDIA - 2019 Barbie Shero

Dipa Karmakar started practicing gymnastics at the age of 6. When she began gymnastics, Dipa had flat feet, an undesirable physical trait in a gymnast as it affects their performance. Through extensive training, she was able to develop an arch in her foot. In 2008, she won the Junior Nationals in Jalpaiguri. Since then, Dipa has won 77 medals, including 67 gold, in state, national, and international championships. She first gained attention when she won a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, becoming the first Indian female gymnast to do so in the history of the Games. She continued her good form at the 2014 Asian Games, where she finished fourth in the vault final. She became the first Indian gymnast to qualify for a final stage at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, where she secured a fifth-place finish in the vault final.

At the Rio 2016 Games, Dipa created history by becoming India’s first female gymnast to qualify for the final vault event. She missed out on bronze by a narrow margin, finishing fourth in the event. Dipa is one of only five women who have successfully landed the Produnova or handspring double front, the most difficult vault currently performed in women's gymnastics. For her remarkable achievements, Dipa was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2015 and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest sporting honor of the Republic of India, in 2016. In 2017, she was honored with the Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India. She has defied all odds and has inspired a generation of young girls to take up the sport of gymnastics.