A WOMAN trolled for her body has given her haters the middle finger by appearing on the front of a sports magazine in a bikini.
Ilona Maher is a professional rugby player known for her tongue-in-cheek social media posts and wearing a red lip during games.
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The 28-year-old, a two-time Olympian who won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is the most followed rugby player in the world on Instagram with nearly four million followers.
But with great attention often comes unwarranted criticism.
Ilona was trolled for her body shape ahead of the 2024 Olympics Games this summer – and strange TikTok users even demanded to know what her BMI is.
She went viral in her sassy response to the detractors – and has now totally proved them wrong by appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue.
The rugby star will make her magazine debut as Sports Illustrated’s September digital issue cover model, joining the likes of Kim Kardashian and Megan Thee Stallion.
She took to Instagram to reveal that she’s “so excited to be part of the family”.
Ilona, from Vermont, US, also joked about doing “400 reps” on a bar to get her muscles camera-ready on set.
In another video she joked that she will “no longer being carrying photo ID” because “people should know who she is”.
When a commenter mocked Ilona’s build with a dig about her BMI in July, the rugby player responded with a brilliant body-positive take-down.
They wrote: “I bet that person has a 30% BMI.”
Ilona was quick to shut the cruel comment down, as well as other body shaming messages she was receiving before and during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
“I think you were trying to roast me but this is actually fact,” she retorted.
“I do have a BMI of 30… well, 29.3 to be more exact.
“I’ve been considered overweight my whole life.”
Ilona’s medal behaviour
Ilona Maher won one medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
She and the U.S. Women’s Rugby Sevens team earned a bronze medal.
She began her rugby career with the South Burlington School Rugby Football Club at age 17.
Her father, a former rugby player for Saint Michael’s College, encouraged her to try the sport.
At Quinnipiac University, Maher played center and helped the team win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) championships.
She was named to the NIRA All-American team each year and won the MA Sorensen Award in 2017.
She made her debut for the United States women’s national rugby union team against Japan in 2018 and represented the U.S. at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The pro rugby player recalled being “so embarrassed” when she saw the word “overweight” written on her physical exam forms in school.
She then informed trolls that BMI “really isn’t helpful for athletes”.
“BMI doesn’t really tell you what I can do,” she said.
“It doesn’t tell you what I can do on the field, or how fit I am.
“It’s just a couple 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.
“But alas, I’m going to the Olympics and you’re not.”
Ilona has been playing rugby since she was 17 and made her international debut in 2018 for the United States women’s national rugby union team against Japan.
She then represented the US in rugby sevens at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.