Truly support
independent journalism
Our mission is to provide unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds the powerful to account and exposes the truth.
Whether it's $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us in offering journalism without agenda.
Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher has been praised for her response to a body-shaming attempt.
The 27-year-old Team USA competitor at the Paris 2024 Olympics recently responded to a troll who criticized her weight and body mass index (BMI).
Since before this year's games began on July 26, Maher has posted frequently on her TikTok, sharing insights into her preparation for the games and the athletes' experience inside the Olympic village in Paris.
While the two-time Olympian's page has received widespread support, some commentators have taken the liberty of judging her body. One person wrote: “I bet that person has a BMI of 30 percent.”
To which Maher replied: “I think you were trying to make fun of me, but this is a fact. I have a BMI of 30, well, 29.3 to be exact.”
The standout competitor continued: “As long as the haters keep talking nonsense, I’ll keep cheering.”
Maher then went on to detail her measurements, admitting that she is 5’9” and weighs 200 pounds. She went on to say that she has “been considered overweight” her entire life due to the BMI category she falls into. The Cleveland Clinic considers a BMI of 25 to 29.9 to be “overweight” and a BMI of 30 or higher to be “obese.”
While she’s had to deal with that label her entire life, Maher doesn’t let the BMI calculation define her or her view of herself — especially since the Cleveland Clinic notes that BMI doesn’t adequately account for muscle weight. According to Maher, 170 pounds is “lean muscle mass.”
After speaking to her doctor, the Olympian concluded that BMI should not be taken into account in her case. “BMI doesn’t really tell you what I can do. It doesn’t tell you what I do on the field or how fit I am,” she confessed. “It’s just a couple of numbers put together. It doesn’t tell you how much muscle I have or anything like that. So yeah, I have a BMI of 30.”
In closing, Maher told her detractors: “I am considered overweight, but unfortunately I am going to the Olympics and you are not.”
A multitude of followers took to her comments section to show their affection for Maher. “You are perfect,” one woman wrote, while another added: “You are an Olympic level athlete, I don’t think anything else needs to be said. You compete at the highest level, whatever you are currently doing is working!”
In a subsequent post on July 18, Maher again addressed criticism about her body, specifically referencing her shoulders. “I always tried to hide my shoulders,” she said. “I always had really long hair because I wanted to cover it up and look feminine. It really took me years of learning and deprogramming to love my big shoulders and actually find them beautiful.”
