If you don’t know who Ilona Maher is, you’ve either been living under a rock or your Instagram algorithm hates you. USA rugby player Ilona Maher has emerged as the relatable voice we all desperately needed. At a crucial time for body positivity, Maher and the Olympics have made a significant impact. Amid discussions about body positivity, the effects of Ozempic, and whether these effects are undermining the entire movement, Maher stands out as a beacon of hope.
"My body is incredible, my body can do incredible things," she proudly states while showcasing her so-called body "flaws" in an Instagram video. That statement alone could bring tears of joy to anyone who has felt pressured to conform to unrealistic body standards. The notion that "healthy comes in different sizes" is often proclaimed, but it's another thing for people—especially women—to truly hear and internalize it. In a world where our bodies have been treated as trends decade after decade, and we are forced to take drastic measures to fit those trends, it's incredibly refreshing to refocus on what our bodies are capable of and what they do for us.
Here’s the thing: body positivity isn’t going anywhere because diverse bodies aren’t going anywhere. No matter how much Ozempic is handed out like candy, different sizes, shapes, and abilities will always exist. And those bodies will need to exist in a world that accepts and celebrates them.
If anything, I hope this reignites the conversation around body diversity and puts the spotlight back on size inclusion. The recent surge in coverage of female athletes, especially highlighting their body diversity, has me positively giddy. "Healthy comes in different sizes" and "being in shape looks different for everyone" might sound like simple concepts, but they're not. People are still judged on arbitrary measures like BMI and pant size to determine their fitness.
Body positivity will endure because body diversity is a permanent part of the human experience. Imagine if we could eradicate the notion that bodies are trends and stop looking to fashion and plastic surgery-laden celebrities to define the perfect body. Instead, let's look to inspiring figures like Ilona Maher, who remind us that true strength and beauty come in many forms.
