Ilona Maher’s Most Empowering Quotes That Make Her Who We’re Thankful for This Year

The SI Swimsuit September digital issue cover star is an Olympian and body positivity advocate.

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bellport, New York. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ilona Maher is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the rugby field. The Olympic athlete has made a name for herself by shattering stereotypes about femininity in sports, advocating for self-love and embracing her unapologetic confidence.

This year she not only brought home Team USA’s first bronze medal for rugby sevens at the Paris Games, but also landed on the cover of SI Swimsuit’s digital September issue and became one of the most popular contestants and runner-up on Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars.

The Vermont native is constantly inspiring and empowering a generation of young women with her humor, vulnerability, body positive messaging and tenacity.

Here are six of our favorite quotes from Maher this year that show why we’re thankful for her today and every day.

On defying stereotypes

"The sport has a lot of stereotypes around, and something that I've tried to really debunk is I believe that rugby is a very physical game … but I also think you don't have to sacrifice your femininity or your beauty by playing it,” the 28-year-old told the NCAA. “That’s a little bit why I wear the lipstick when I play. I can tackle hard and run hard but also, you know, still feel beautiful and still bring that into it. It’s not like you have to sacrifice that.”

On the strength her body provides

“I was always like, you know, called masculine or whatever. But I never felt that way. But I don't think you're going to bully the girl who could probably beat you up in a rage. I love that [rugby] showed me what I can do. It showed me how capable my body is, and it's not just like a tool to be looked at and objectified,” the model shared while on set for her SI Swim photo shoot in Bellport, NY.

On taking up space and building confidence

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"It’s O.K. to try things that scare you. It’s O.K. to want to see how strong and powerful your body can be. It’s O.K. to wear what makes you feel the most confident. It’s O.K. to do what you love even if society tells you it’s not ‘ladylike.’ It’s O.K. to make mistakes and learn from them to become a better person. It’s O.K. to take up space and speak your mind,” she wrote on Instagram.

On self-love

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“I try to remember what my body does for me, how strong it is. Give yourself some grace. Remember that our bodies are constantly changing and will constantly change the rest of our lives. Take a breath, remind yourself you’re beautiful. It’s O.K. if you’re going through these; it’s going to be ups and downs the rest of your life. I love you and thank you all for loving me,” the San Diego resident gushed on social media.

On embracing femininity in rugby

I think it’s important for me because rugby has always been thought of as a very masculine sport, and [fans] stereotype the people who play it. Myself and all the girls playing sevens and fifteens, I think, are really breaking that stereotype. We’re wearing makeup because we want to wear it and it makes us feel good, and I think we’re showing that it doesn’t take away from how we play on the field,” the Maybelline Cosmetics ambassador told PEOPLE. “My lipstick doesn’t take away from how hard I hit, from how I read the game, from how I run. It’s just something that we do to kind of say, ‘F you’ to those standards in what is thought of as a man’s sport.”

On being a role model

“For me, it's just showing how powerful and how important it is to be strong physically and mentally. I think young girls like seeing me dancing the rumba, this muscular build out there, trying to be as graceful as she can….At times it feels like it's not just for me that I'm doing this; it's for others,” Maher said about continuing her body positivity message on DWTS.