Teen campaigner attends Mary Earps waxwork unveiling

A football enthusiast, instrumental in the successful campaign for Nike to offer replica goalkeeper jerseys for England’s women’s team, described her attendance at the unveiling of a wax figure of Lioness Mary Earps as “crazy.” The petition, initiated by 17-year-old Emmy from Northamptonshire, garnered over 170,000 signatures, prompting the sportswear company to reverse its initial stance. Emmy was present among the attendees at Madame Tussauds in London on Sunday, where Earps herself was present for the reveal of her wax likeness. The young woman commented that the figure’s design was “so realistic” and witnessing Earps’ response was “incredible.” Jo Kinsey, the studio manager at Madame Tussauds, stated that the creation of the figure spanned approximately 10 months, and Earps had been “very involved, very engaged and not shy” throughout its development. Earps, a Euro 2022 winner with England and a penalty saver in the previous year’s World Cup final, was selected for inclusion in the museum’s collection after a public ballot. The goalkeeper marks the first female footballer to be honored with a wax figure by Madame Tussauds, joining prominent figures such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah in receiving this recognition. Reflecting on her petition, Emmy stated: “I wanted Mary’s shirt because of the impact she’s had on my life.” “When she won the award for Fifa’s best female goalkeeper [in 2022], she said the quote ‘be unapologetically yourself’. “I’ve suffered quite a lot with bullying growing up and feeling like I didn’t fit in. To see someone who experienced the same and came out on the other side resonated so much [with me].” She described her attendance at Sunday’s reveal as an “eye-opener,” allowing her to “see how big” her campaign had become. Nike affirmed its “committed to retailing women’s goalkeeping jerseys for major tournaments in the future.” The wax figure of Earps is scheduled for public display at Madame Tussauds’ Baker Street location starting Friday. Information regarding Northamptonshire news is available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Details concerning our external linking policy are accessible.