Olympian Ilona Maher's Post About Being In A Bikini Went Viral, After Her Previous Remarks Of "Always" Being "Bigger" Than Other Girls
Ilona Maher shared an honest post about what it feels like to wear a bikini with her body type, and fans can't help but admire how far her confidence has come.
For those who don't know her, Ilona is an Olympian who helped the U.S. Women's Rugby Sevens team take home the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was a historic moment because it was the team's first time the U.S. Women's team won a medal in Rugby Sevens.
She garnered a lot of attention on social media, specifically TikTok, after sharing behind-the-scenes details about the Olympics and perfectly displaying her fun personality. Ilona was also praised for how vulnerable she'd get with her fans about body image and learning to love the skin she's in.
She continued the positivity earlier this week after announcing she was going to be featured in Sports Illustrated's iconic swimsuit issue for the second time. She was first featured in 2024 as their September digital cover issue model.
Instagram: @si_swimsuit
"Thank you to @si_swimsuit for once again letting me showcase my strong, powerful body and for making me feel so beautiful," she wrote on one post.
"For young Ilona wearing a bikini was once unthinkable but now I'd actually prefer to be prancing around in one. Stay sexy, folks." The video was made up of a compilation of clips of her in various bikinis while she sang the viral song "Sally, When The Wine Runs Out" by Role Model, and played on the beach.
The 28-year-old athlete felt empowered to show that being strong is still sexy, especially when society tends to deem women with muscular physiques as less feminine and attractive. It's clear Ilona is hoping to change that narrative by ensuring the world knows beauty comes in many forms.
As many commenters reflected on how they wished they had someone like Ilona to look up to growing up, it reminded me of a sweet video message she sent to a young girl who was dealing with weight insecurities after she had listed her weight on her field trip permission slip, only to somehow realize she weighed "more than all of her friends." The pre-teen wrote Ilona a letter, and Ilona responded, revealing how much she once related to her.
"I was always a bigger girl in sixth grade," Ilona explained in the video. "I remember I was 130 pounds and I never understood why am I always bigger than everybody? I didn't get that, but now I've realized this is my body, and my body is meant to be big and powerful and strong. And I think that's the same with you as well."
"So really recognize that and appreciate it because I'm gonna be honest, Georgia, this is it," Ilona continued. "This is the body you got and this is the body you gotta love. Thank you so much for your support. It means so much to me to see and to know that I may be affecting people in a good way."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
38 minutes ago
- New York Post
Americans roasted by Europeans over ‘primitive' eating habit: ‘Worse than nails down a chalkboard'
It's a fork-and-knife fight. A viral TikTok video showing an American woman attempting the 'European way' of eating has sparked an international food fight — and critics say her table manners are downright barbaric. TikTok user Amy Gordy @amygordy1 posted a now-viral video of herself trying out the so-called 'continental' dining style — the one where you don't play musical chairs with your utensils. Gordy, channeling her inner Emily Post, did her best to keep the fork in her left hand and the knife in her right — unlike the typical American technique of cutting food, dropping the knife, then switching fork hands like it's a culinary square dance. But her continental makeover quickly went off the rails. Viewers couldn't believe their eyes — or her grip. 'This has spun me out, I've never thought about how I use cutlery,' wrote one confused diner. Another viewer declared, after the clip was reposted on X (formerly Twitter): 'Americans are so primitive for world leaders!!! Hold your knife in your right hand! It's your dinner sword. Watching Americans eat is worse than nails down a blackboard.' The video — which racked up more than 2 million views and thousands of comments — didn't just spark etiquette outrage online. It also triggered a domestic dispute because Gordy's husband is heard saying in the background that his wife holding both utensils while he's talking to her is 'rude.' That had TikTok users clutching their pearls — and their cutlery. 'Him saying you're doing it wrong and that it's rude to hold your cutlery when speaking,' one user wrote in disbelief. Another piled on: 'Am I missing something??!? Eating properly is rude in America??' '… Dude sounds like a piece of work. People talk with utensils in their hands all the time, it's never been rude,' tweeted @thisisvertrying, who also reposted Gordy's original video. The clip clocked over 2 million views and thousands of comments — igniting a full-blown Euro vs. American cutlery clash online. sonyachny – Meanwhile, some critics nitpicked Gordy's fork-and-knife form, pointing out that she'd flipped her hands from the standard European setup. 'It's not the 'European Way,' it THE CORRECT WAY,' one commenter fumed. Others were more forgiving, insisting there's no 'correct' way to eat — as long as you're not launching mashed potatoes across the room. Still, for some Europeans, watching Americans carve up dinner like it's an Olympic event remains a horror show. 'I'm confused, so how do Americans use cutlery?' asked one commenter, apparently still recovering from the cultural whiplash. Knife to meet you, indeed. And while Gordy's utensil swap stirred the pot online, Brits like etiquette expert William Hanson would likely argue it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dining faux pas. Hanson — dubbed Britain's leading etiquette coach — recently stunned viewers by insisting there's only one proper way to eat a banana: with a knife and fork. 'No, we don't pick it up and peel it like a primate,' he said in a now-viral Instagram tutorial. 'Instead, we use a knife and fork. First, going from one end, cut it off, then cut off the other end, turning your knife on its side. Then score down the skin, peel back and eat like so.' His fruit-fueled formality didn't end there. As previously reported by The Post, in a follow-up, Hanson demonstrated the 'correct' way to eat grapes — using scissors to snip a smaller bunch onto a plate, naturally. At least that one didn't require cutlery.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Wait, Did Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Actually Get Married?
Do you hear wedding bells? Because after Tom Holland and Zendaya's engagement, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's engagement, and those Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson marriage rumors, it appears Hollywood does. And after all those Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift engagement rumors, Travis just spilled on his ideal wedding timeline — that's right, it appears our favorite IRL rom-com couple could be thinking about tying the knot! Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had a blast at Cole Kmet and Emily Jarosz's wedding on June 6, and Cole's event planner Ellie Nottoli showed off some special Easter eggs she incorporated into TayVis' attendance. The couple was assigned to Table 13 at the wedding reception (Taylor's famously lucky number!), but there was one other detail that immediately caught fans' attention: the letter was addressed to "Taylor and Travis Kelce." 'We all know Taylor and Travis were at a different wedding in Tennessee,' Ellie said on Instagram (via ). 'But each guest had an envelope that was adhered to a beautiful backdrop, and Emily wrote love notes to all of her guests.' "As a 2023 bride - we made this joke with a handful of our very close friends who'd been dating for awhile lol (they all took it in good fun)," one Swiftie , while another , "It has a lovely ring to it." A third Swiftie , "Ummmmm Taylor kelce does fit it should be TAYLOR SWIFT AND TRAVIS SWIFT." And one TikTok user that "in a married relationship it'd been written as Travis & Taylor Kelce big difference." The couple hasn't announced an engagement, but they're definitely happy and that's all I need to know! On a new episode of the podcast he hosts with brother Jason, Travis Kelce revealed he would like to avoid an autumn wedding day. And the reason is literally so on brand it makes me laugh. After a listener revealed over the phone that his girlfriend wants to schedule their wedding during football season, Travis admits that "I actually don't know people who've gotten married in the fall." "My friends always do it in the summer," he says. "I've seen weddings everywhere but the fall. So, I'm not sure if the fall is a good wedding season." The weather of an autumn wedding (not to mention the incredible aesthetic of the wedding photos!!) have always made it seem so dreamy. Plus, I've attended more than one summer wedding (some on the beach!) and it can get toasty under the summer sun. Spring then, Travis? Travis' comments come after he responded to rumors that he'd pop the question to girlfriend Taylor Swift. During the June 1 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend's onstage comedy sketch, Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis asked Travis about a potential engagement. "Hey Travis, real talk, OK, just the guys here," . "When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?" "Guys," Travis says, "you're really pushing it." It's a pretty kind way to say back off!! I'm excited for whenever Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce tell us they're engaged — should they choose to share at all. Check out the latest news on ! This post has been updated.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tom Daley speaks out about his father's death as he admits he 'didn't know who to turn to'
Tom Daley "didn't know who to turn to" when his dad died. The 31-year-old Olympian lost his father, Robert, to a brain tumour more than a decade ago, but he is sure that his dad is still "supporting" him with everything as he goes on in his life and career. He told People: "When he was gone from my life, I didn't really know who to turn to or who to talk to about lots of things. "There wasn't really anyone that would bring it out of me, because my dad was always someone who kind of knew exactly what I was thinking and how I was feeling and knew how to fix it. "He supports me all the way, and if I didn't have his support system, I wouldn't be here now 'cause I wouldn't want to carry on." Tom has sons Robbie, six, as well as two-year-old Phoenix with his husband Dustin Lance Black, and recently admitted that losing his dad was one of the "most difficult" things he has ever had to go through but still takes inspiration from his dad when it comes to his parenting style. He said: "I model lots of my parenting and lots of the things that I do every day around what I learned from my dad. He my biggest cheerleader. He was there for every training session, every competition, and he was a huge part of my life, day in, day out. "Losing him was one of the most difficult things that I ever had to deal with." Yet I was dealing with that in a very public way in the U.K. Looking back on all of that footage was quite challenging to watch because I felt really sorry for the younger Tom that I kind of was just carrying on and putting on a brave face, and I didn't ever want to bother anyone with how I was feeling because I didn't want to ever make anyone else feel uncomfortable." Tom has discussed his life and career at length in the new documentary, Tom Daley: 1.6 Seconds' but admitted that he initially had reservations about speaking about such personal things on camera. He said: "I wasn't sure about doing it initially. You know what? This is something that I would love to be able to then show my kids in the future and be able to be like, 'Look, this is what Papa did. This is the thing that Papa was doing day in, day out' And the things that I did, and be able to get to know the relationship I had with my dad and all of that stuff."
