I first discovered the lovely Ilona Maher earlier this year to the best of my recollection. I think it may have been back in the spring, just prior to beginning my own rugby season; I followed a number of rugby-oriented social media accounts at the time to refresh my own knowledge of the game, specifically via Instagram, and one recommendation the app provided me with was to follow Ilona. I checked out her page, loved what I saw, and hit the follow button with zero hesitation.
This year has been Ilona’s, to say the least. To provide you with some context, she is a 28-year-old female American rugby union player who hails from Vermont, and she has taken the internet by storm these past months. She and the U.S. women’s rugby 7’s team won bronze this year at the Olympics, and while her social media following was respectable before the games, she is now the most followed professional rugby player on social media.
*Mic drop*
This gal has it all. She is a hell of an athlete; smart as heck; absolutely hilarious; a gorgeous individual inside and out; and she has become a bit of a pioneer in the body positivity realm. Illona is a big woman, meaning strong, athletic and tall, and she has never been one to hide her body away simply because it doesn’t coincide with the standard of beauty we have all been bombarded with. If anything, she goes out of her way to show off her body and encourage young girls and women around the world to cherish and embrace their bodies, and not shy away from feeling beautiful because they don’t fit the stereotypical notion of what we perceive beauty to be.
Recently, Ilona graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. I cannot wait to see what else this superwoman achieves, and myself and a plethora of women are right behind her, supporting her every move.
ontheedgeofeverything 