Rugby Star Ilona Maher: Defying BMI Criticism With Olympic Glory

Champion faces and overcomes weight critics at 2024 Paris Olympics

Ilona Maher, led Rugby 7s Team USA to their first Olympic bronze medal /

By Mohamed Bahaa

Ilona Maher, the dynamic center of the US women’s rugby team, led Team USA to their first bronze medal this week at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, distinguishing herself not only on the field but also in her response to critics.

Maher, known for her signature red lipstick and powerful playing style, has faced derogatory comments about her appearance and weight. Critics have labeled her as masculine and “obese,” yet she remains undeterred. "I used to get those comments all the time, people being mean or calling me manly or whatnot," Maher shared. "But now I have 2 million friends who will come after you and take you down if you try and say anything mean to me."

Before the Olympics, Maher confronted a critic who remarked about her body mass index (BMI), a controversial health measurement. "I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually fact — I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be more exact," she posted on TikTok in mid-July. "I am considered overweight. But alas, I’m going to the Olympics, and you’re not."

Maher has consistently shared her experiences with body shaming, posting emotional videos detailing the impact of anonymous hate. "As you can probably tell, I’ve been crying a little bit," she revealed in December 2022. She emphasized, "They think women should be fragile and petite and quiet and meek, but that’s not the case. Women can be strong, and they can have broad shoulders, and they can take up space, and they can be big."

Challenging the BMI Norm

BMI is a metric used to categorize weight status, where a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is deemed healthy, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 and above is obese. However, many argue that BMI is a flawed measurement. Thomas Wadden, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, explained, "Consider a young woman who is 5 feet 5 inches and 150 pounds. She would be on the cusp of being overweight with a BMI of 25. But she may be incredibly muscular, and she may have most of her weight in her lower body, where it’s not as damaging to her health."

This is a scenario familiar to Maher, who stated, "I’m 5 (feet) 10 (inches) and 200 pounds. And I have about — and this is an estimate — but about 170 pounds of lean mass on me. That BMI doesn’t really tell you what I can do … how fit I am."

Maher’s journey and her triumph over criticism highlight the evolving conversation around body image and health metrics, inspiring many to reconsider how we define fitness and health.