"Be kind to your body" - Ilona Maher shows off natural body while revealing unfiltered opinion amid talks about fitness standards

Ilona Maher was seen flaunting her natural body while expressing her unfiltered opinion about accepting oneself. Maher rose to fame during the Paris Olympics, when she started using social media to document her life at the Olympic village with her cheerful humor.

However, she made the biggest impact through her body positivity messages. Known for wearing her trademark dark lipstick while competing, Maher has consistently opined that women who run, tackle, and have stiff arms can still embrace their femininity. While the American rugby player was engaged in creating content around body positivity and her Olympic journey, she also contributed to the team's effort in winning a bronze medal in Paris.

Maher recently shared a video of herself where she was seen showing off her natural form, without a six-pack. She rejected the idea of considering a body with a six-pack being athletic. Maher further added that she is an Olympic medalist but has had a six-pack.

"I’m not saying six-packs are bad, but I do firmly believe that we aren’t all meant to have them, and they are not a determinant of how fit or athletic you are. I am a two-time Olympian in an extremely fitness-based sport. Been a professional athlete for 7 years, and I have never had a six-pack." "Be kind to your body," she added. "We aren’t all meant to be small. Take up space. See exactly what your body is capable of with or without a six-pack."

Maher won a bronze medal along with the team in the women's rugby sevens event at the Paris Olympics.

Ilona Maher opens up about her popularity for being a content creator rather than a rugby player

Ilona Maher during the 2024 Olympic Games. (Photo via Getty Images)

Ilona Maher once opened up about being popular for her content creation role than for being a rugby player. In an interview with The Telegraph, she highlighted that while fans praise her for embracing body positivity, they tend to forget that she is a notable player too.

“I think people forget that I am a good rugby player,” she said. “As an American athlete, I play sevens because it’s full-time and I get paid to play sevens. So of course I’m going to play that, live in San Diego, play full-time and get to play rugby. It’s very hard right now, there’s not a lot of XVs teams out there who will pay you to play the sport you love. I’m a great rugby player – in XVs and sevens"

After the Paris Olympics victory, Ilona Maher appeared in major brand engagements, including the digital cover of SI Swimsuit's issue.

Edited by Janhavi Shinde