Ilona Maher as a Trendsetter:

I didn’t know I needed to see a muscular feminine body on a publication until I stood in a Vons checkout line staring at Ilona Maher. My internal teenage girl needed to see a woman not preaching smallness nor diets.

I cry for the teenage girls who never got to see this and I cry for the ones who do. For years, we’ve seen influencers joke about eating pizza and fries while simultaneously being a size 00. They’re funny, witty, and attractive. But most importantly, they’re skinny.

Ilona Maher began to gain a following beyond the rugby community when she was in the Olympics and created a social media presence that went viral.

She then went on to join the cast of Dancing with the Stars. Each of her dances showcases the balance of her strength and femininity/grace by lifting her male partner Alan. She shows she can be graceful and also capable. She ended up placing second.

Videos of her have gone viral saying, “ ‘Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels?’ Have you tried being strong? I feel great.”

Barbie recently announced they were coming out with an Ilona Maher doll alongside other rugby players. One with a different body type, a muscular build.

Young girls will walk the stores and see this representation in the toy aisles. They will open up Instagram or TikTok to see someone who is not skinny and who is not afraid of it. Maybe there is hope for us after all.