‘I’m going to the Olympics and you’re not,’ athlete claps back at body-shamer who mocked her for being ‘overweight’
A TIKTOK troll has learned a lesson in embarrassing fashion — you don’t body-shame an Olympian.
When a commenter mocked Team USA’s Ilona Maher’s build with a dig about her BMI, the rugby player responded with a brilliant body-positive take-down.
Ilona is headed to Paris for her second Olympic Games this month.
The 27-year-old earned a legion of new fans during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo as she shared entertaining posts about life in the Olympic Village for athletes.
Now boasting 1.1 million followers on TikTok, fans love her sense of humor — and her attitude.
But one commenter wasn’t prepared for that sass when they left a rude remark on one of her videos.
“I bet that person has a 30% BMI,” the troll wrote.
Ilona soon put that person in their place with a little lesson about BMI.
“Hi, thank you for this comment,” she responded with a smile.
“I think you were trying to roast me but this is actually fact,” she went on.
“I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be more exact.
“I’ve been considered overweight my whole life,” she said, recalling being “so embarrassed” by having the word “overweight” written on her physical exam forms in school.
“I chatted with my dietitian, because I go off of facts and not just what pops up here… like you do,” she said, pointing to her head with a smirk.
“We talked about BMI. And we talked about how it really isn’t helpful for athletes.
“BMI doesn’t tell you much. It just tells you your height and weight and what that equals.”
Ilona noted that she is 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, and she has an estimated 170 pounds of lean mass on her body.
So, yeah. I do have a BMI of 30. I am considered overweight.
Ilona Maher
“Do that math in your head — you probably can’t,” she told her hater.
“And that BMI doesn’t really tell you what I can do. It doesn’t tell you what I can do on the field, how fit I am,” said the rugby star, who’s been playing the sport since she was 17 and made her international debut in 2018.
“It’s just a couple numbers put together. It doesn’t tell you how much muscle I have or anything like that.
“So, yeah. I do have a BMI of 30. I am considered overweight.
“But alas, I’m going to the Olympics and you’re not,” she concluded.
And she clearly has no plans to stop putting nasty commenters in their place anytime soon.
“As long as haters keep saying dumb stuff, I’m gonna keep clapping back,” she wrote.
LET’S HEAR IT
Commenters were thrilled by her verbal takedown — and were in full agreement.
“The end of that though,” wrote one with a clapping emoji.
“I’ve always said I’m personally victimized by the BMI scale, Norwegian build. You’re amazing!!!!” wrote another.
“You’ve helped me so much I started fueling myself like an athlete and not trying to be skinny and it helped me accomplish two Boston Marathons,” wrote a third.
THIGHS OF STEEL
Ilona has hit back at body-shamers and warped beauty standards in the past.
In December, the Olympian reassured her followers that it’s normal to have cellulite while speaking candidly about the lumps and dimples on her legs.
She even shared a photo of herself competing on the field that showed cellulite on her thighs.
“This is my leg from a past rugby tournament,” Ilona said. “I’m a literal Olympian and professional athlete.
“I run all day long, and I lift weights all day long, constantly. And that is what my legs look like.
“I have cellulite everywhere.
“It is completely normal, completely natural, and does not take away from your athletic ability or how fast [or] how fit you are.
“It’s just something that’s part of your body and we all have it.”
Ilona sighed heavily as she encouraged women to embrace their bodies regardless of any perceived flaws.