USA Olympic Athlete Ilona Maher Gives A Tribute To Radical Femininity On The Rugby Pitch
There’s no perfect mold for Olympic athletes — or femininity.
Ilohna Maher via Instagram | Cawis, Susmit & Annet Debar via Canva Outside of the massive success Olympic athlete Ilona Maher has achieved in her sport — from the Tokyo Olympics to college rugby accolades to world championships — she’s also grown incredibly on social media with her raw vulnerability and comedic charm.
With an incredibly diverse platform of content covering everything from relationships to self-identity and acceptance, her recent Paris Olympics videos have taken off, garnering the attention of other athletes, news outlets, and global viewers. She's already the most followed active rugby player in the world, and her influence only continues to grow.
In an interview with CBS, Maher dug deep into her presence — not only on social media, but also on the pitch — and how she’s able to capture her fierce femininity without sacrificing her identity as an athlete and powerhouse in her sport.
Ilona Maher, a U.S. Olympic rugby athlete, is embracing her whole identity on the pitch, including her unique femininity.
“I don’t want to be just one thing out there,” Maher emphasized about her presence on the rugby pitch. “I feel that I can be a beast and can play this very physical, aggressive sport while also keeping my femininity.”
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As she discusses frequently on her TikTok, embracing femininity can feel exclusionary, at least in the eyes of viewers on this global stage, especially when one lives in a larger, more athletic body. But Maher has tried to step away from stereotypical regulations on femininity, embracing it in ways that empower her and other young athletes and girls yearning for a role model.
“If you look good, you play good,” one commenter suggested. “Ilona is a great role model for young athletes … Olympic athletes don’t all look the same. Femininity doesn’t all look the same.”
Her iconic lipstick during matches has gone viral — ‘You don’t have to sacrifice your femininity to play any sport.’
Maher said she captures the essence of her femininity by wearing bright lipstick and makeup on the field. “There’s a certain lipstick that I always wear that I love,” she said. “So, to me, you don’t have to sacrifice femininity to play any sport — whether it’s softball, field hockey, basketball, or rugby. It’s a little bit of…’I’m not changing who I am,’ no matter what it is that I’m doing.”
For some, wearing makeup might be a radical embrace of femininity — regardless of your gender identity — but there are other ways to mirror Maher’s mission of authenticity. Olympians like Sha’Carri Richardson, a beloved U.S. track athlete, channel her authenticity through charm and, of course, her trademark nails.
Throughout her career, Sha’Carri has proved there’s no need to separate femininity, authenticity, or your unique identity from athletics — in fact, they make you better. As of August 2023, Richardson is now the fastest woman in the world — serving speed and new nail looks in Paris for this year’s Olympics.
Growing massively on TikTok, Maher has continued to bridge the gap between viewers, young athletes, and Olympians in Paris.
Dominating the rugby scene and coverage in Paris, Maher’s lipstick-wearing pitch debut to news outlets isn’t the only story worth covering — in fact, her TikTok platform is filled with skits, chats, and vlogs that scratch the surface of Maher’s experience growing up and embracing her body, identity, and athleticism in adulthood.
“I’ve been considered overweight my whole life,” Maher shared in response to a negative comment about her body. “In high school, I had to turn in a physical to the office, and right at the bottom of the page it said ‘overweight.’ I was so embarrassed.”
“I chatted with my dietician [as an adult], and we talked about BMI ... how it isn’t helpful for athletes and only really tells you what your height and weight equals. I’ve said it before: I’m 5 '10 and 200 pounds.” Not only does her BMI not give much context about her health or athletic abilities, but it plagued her growing up — labeling her as “overweight” in an inherently fatphobic culture.
Medical News Today cited research, similar to Maher’s video, that body mass index (or “BMI”) — a traditional indicator and measurement of a person’s weight — tends to be inaccurate in determining health, especially for athletes. Not only does this inaccurate and grossly misunderstood indicator foster shame for many people — especially those living in larger bodies — it cultivates a culture where weight and health are mistakenly interlocked without context.
Part of Maher’s online platform has been dedicated to unweaving ingrained notions about weight and health, helping young athletes embrace their physical strength and ability without the stigma of traditional femininity or body types.
Olympic athletes come in all different shapes and sizes, from all different backgrounds and communities, and with a wide range of experiences.
Yes, Maher is an athlete. But she’s also a woman, a daughter, a sister, an advocate, a creator, and a businessperson. Embracing her multifaceted identity doesn’t stop when she plays rugby — it only continues to give her a platform to be her authentic self on a global stage.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.