Rugby player Ilona Maher is an Olympic star, but she's also a social media star. The 27-year-old American rugby player has used her platform to promote body positivity, and a video in which she calls out a body shamer has gone viral.
In the video, Ilona responded to a comment about her body mass index. "I bet that person has a 30 bmi," a person wrote about Ilona. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a BMI of 25 to less than 30 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30 or greater would be considered obese.
Ilona's response to the person's attempt at an insult was probably not what they expected.
"I think you were trying to roast me but this is actually a fact," Ilona responded. "I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be more exact."
Ilona went on to explain that she has "been considered overweight [her] whole life. In middle school, elementary school, high school, I was always considered overweight."
She recalled an "embarrassing" moment in high school in which she had to turn results from a physical into the office, and the paper that she had to turn in said "overweight" on it.
Ilona went on to say that she prefers to rely on facts when it comes to getting information, so she spoke to a dietician about BMI to gain a better understanding. "We talked about how it really isn't helpful for athletes," she said, adding that your BMI "doesn't tell you much" since it's calculated based on your height and weight without considering how much of that weight is muscle vs. fat.
"That BMI doesn't really tell you what I can do," Ilona continued. "It doesn't tell you what I 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."
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At the end of the video, Ilona reiterated that she has a BMI of about 30 and is technically "overweight" according to her BMI.
"But alas," she concluded, "I'm going to the Olympics, and you're not."
Ilona has created other videos to promote body positivity, including one in which she addresses misconceptions about what athletes eat.
"We eat a lot of carbs," she said in the video, showing off all of the "carbs" she had on her plate.
"A bread roll, a croissant, a crepe," she said, showing what was on her plate. "Fuel up. Don't stay hungry."
In a separate video, she encouraged people to pay attention to the diverse body types present at the Paris Olympics.
"I want you all to take a look at all the different body types on display [at the Olympics]," she said. "All body types matter. All body types are worthy."
"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," she continued.
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