Ilona Maher Says Learning to Love Her Body Is an Ongoing Journey

The SI Swimsuit model and Olympic Rugby player is a constantly inspiring young women with her wise, candid words.

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

Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher has been a trailblazer in promoting body positivity and redefining what it means to be strong, beautiful and confident. The SI Swimsuit model, who graced the front of the viral September issue, was the star of a recent People magazine cover story, titled “Ilona Maher: America’s Sweetheart is Having a Hollywood Moment.” It‘s aptly titled, as the professional athlete, who won Bronze at this year‘s Paris Games, has captured the nation's hearts with her sense of humor and contagious positivity through her authenticity on social media and as a contestant on season 33 of Dancing With the Stars each week.

The 28-year-old opened up about her journey to embracing her athletic build and the challenges she’s faced in fully accepting herself in an interview with the magazine. Watch the video here.

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“I don’t think I ever fully hated my body. Maybe I didn’t understand why it looked the way it did,” the Vermont native shared. “I have so many memories of like me crying to my mom, like, ‘Why do I look like this? Why am I bigger?’ I was a bigger girl, and [I was constantly wondering,] ‘Why do I look like this, yet I’m so fit… and I’m one of the best athletes, and yet I don’t look like that girl who’s much skinnier than me.’”

Maher’s teammates have been a huge source of encouragement, especially retired rugby player Naya Tapper. Maher credits Tapper with helping her embrace her body type: “She is a bigger [woman] like me, broad shoulders, tall. She has this confidence about her, this love for her body that then kind of trickled into me.” She added that she hopes what the 30-year-old former Team USA co-captain was able to do for Maher and her own personal body image, she can do for a whole generation of young women.

The journey to loving and feeling confident in your body, however, is far from linear and Maher is well aware of the fact.

“It’s been a constant uphill struggle, sometimes downhill,” Maher reflected. She acknowledges that as life changes, so will her relationship with her body. “When I’m done playing sports, my body’s going to change,” she added. “When I have a baby, my body’s gonna change. So I don’t think it’s ever just a linear, straight line, like, ‘Figured it out. Love my body. Great.’ It’s gonna be just a constant up and down.”

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