Everyone’s girl crush, Olympic-medalist, Dancing With The Stars Season 33 favorite, and Sports Illustrated cover star, Ilona Maher, has the self-love power to champion women of all builds.
“People are used to women being petite, meek, and fragile. There is no single definition of what a woman is. I am someone who is changing that,” Maher says.
Promoting the tough sport of women’s rugby, the awareness of a hidden profession is more transparent than ever before.
“I’m a professional athlete. My body is my job and it is capable of such incredible things,” she talks about after receiving accolades for an historic Olympic victory.
The narrative alteration, self-love to self-appreciation, takes into consideration bodily changes and being okay with those biological circumstances.
If she does not like her stomach or legs one day, that now does not mean she does not appreciate what they do for her. Let’s just say they earned her a beautiful success story.
The rugby player is historic on many accounts, it is hard to keep up!
Sports Illustrated enhanced her candid words to candid images.
The 28-year-old opened up about her journey to embracing her athletic build and the challenges she’s faced in fully accepting herself in her interview with SI.
Another outlet of this campaign: Dancing With The Stars.
Alongside partner, Alan Bersten, she woos fans through her emotional, yet powerful performances; again, leaning into this self-appreciation movement.
Maher reiterates, “Our bodies aren’t just meant to be looked at. They do so much more.”