U.S. Olympics rugby player goes viral for sharing powerful message about body types in sports

If you’ve been one of the many, many people tuned into the summer Olympics since they kicked off last week, you’ve probably already noticed something pretty obvious: There are a lot of different types of bodies represented from around the world in all the different sports involved in the Games. Ilona Maher, a member of the women’s rugby team that’s in Paris to compete for the United States, pointed this out in a now-viral video where she asked viewers to celebrate all the different bodies that help athletes reach such an elite level.

“As the Olympics officially start today, I want you all to take a look at all the different body types that are on display,” she said in her video. “All body types matter. All body types are worthy—from the smallest gymnast to the tallest volleyball player to a rugby to a shot putter and a sprinter.” 

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A post shared by Ilona Maher (@ilonamaher)

Maher added, “All body types are beautiful and can do amazing things, so truly see yourself in these athletes and know that you can do it too.”

In the comments, lots of people thanked Maher for her inspirational message.

“It’s not often I find myself saying ‘this person is an incredible role model for my daughter’ but you made the mark,” one commenter wrote.

Another added, “I absolutely LOVE seeing the different body types at major international comps! It’s an inspiring study of the human body! GOOD LUCK ILONA!!!”

In case you don’t follow Maher on social media, she posts fascinating content showing the behind-the-scenes of training with an Olympic team, plus plenty of inspirational and body-positive content, too. In one recent video, she shared what a world-class athlete eats for breakfast, busting some myths about how an elite-level competitor might choose the things they put on their plate.

And she’s not worried about her BMI, either, in case you were wondering. One troll tried to come for her about it, but of course Maher handled it like a pro.

“Hi, thank you for this comment. I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually a fact. I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be exact,” Maher began in her video, which has been viewed more than 4.3 million times, and liked more than 629,000 times. “I’ve been considered overweight my whole life,” sharing that she’d been categorized as overweight from elementary school into high school.

“I remember vividly in high school, one time, I had to turn a physical into the office, and right at the bottom of the page it said overweight, and I was so embarrassed to turn that in and have that written there,” she said. “My whole life I’ve been this way.”

“I chatted with my dietician, because I go off facts, and not just what pops up here,” she said, tapping her temple before addressing the specific commenter: “You know, like you do.”

“We talked about BMI, and we talked about how it’s really not helpful for athletes. “BMI doesn’t tell you what I can do. It doesn’t tell you what I can do on the field. How fit I am. 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 do have a BMI of 30. I am considered overweight.”

As one commenter put it (and we couldn’t agree more), “Ilona Maher decimates hustle AND diet culture.”