USA rugby star Ilona Maher had the best response to a troll who criticized her weight.
The 27-year-old — who’s poised to shine on the pitch for Team USA in pursuit of its first Olympic rugby medal in Paris — shut down a commenter that wrote: “I bet that person has a 30% BMI.”
“Hi, thank you for this comment. I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually a fact,” Maher said in a video on TikTok, where she has 1.6 million followers. “I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be exact.
“I’ve been considered overweight my whole life. In middle school, elementary school, high school, I was always considered overweight.
USA rugby star Ilona Maher shut down a troll who criticized her weight on social media. TikTok/Ilona Maher
BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a value derived from the mass and height of a person.
Maher — who’s known for her powerful fist arm on the pitch — went on to recall a time in high school when she had to turn in a physical that said she was categorized as overweight.
“And I was so embarrassed to turn that in… So my whole life I’ve been this way. I chatted with my dietician, because I go off facts, and not just what pops up here, you know, like you do,” Maher said, referring to the commenter, whose TikTok appeared to be deleted as of Monday.
“We talked about BMI, and we talked about how it’s really not helpful for athletes. BMI doesn’t tell you much it just tells you what your height and weight equals.
United States forward Ilona Maher (2) competing against France at Stade de France at the Paris Olympics on July 29, 2024. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
United States forward Ilona Maher (2) competing against France at Stade de France at the Paris Olympics on July 29, 2024. Getty Images
“I’ve said it before, I’m 5-foot-10, 200 lbs, and I have about — and this is an estimate — about 170 pounds of lean mass on me. Do that math in your head. You probably can’t.”
“That’s pretty crazy, right? And that BMI doesn’t really tell you what I can do; It doesn’t tell you what I do on the field; How fit I am. It’s just a couple of 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.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
“But alas, I’m going to the Olympics — and you’re not,” Maher concluded.
“As long as haters keep saying dumb stuff, I’m gonna keep clapping back,” she captioned her post.
Maher, who has 1.5 million followers on Instagram, garnered social media fame when she began sharing behind-the-scenes videos of life as an Olympian during the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Fans fell in love with her lighthearted videos and satire.
Kylie Kelce and Ilona Maher at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Instagram/Ilona Maher
In a separate post on her Instagram Story, Maher shared a photo with Kylie Kelce after meeting her and her husband, former Eagles center Jason Kelce in Paris.
“Great to finally meet you. Tell the girls I will be their personal rugby coach if they want to play,” Maher wrote, referring to their three young daughters, Wyatt, Elliotte and Bennett.
The U.S. women’s rugby sevens team beat Japan 36-7 on Sunday morning, and defeated Brazil 24-5 that afternoon.
They lost to France, 31-14, on Monday in front of 66,000 in attendance, which set a new record for a women’s rugby event.
Source link : https://nypost.com/2024/07/29/sports/olympic-rugby-star-ilona-maher-hits-back-at-critic-over-weight-dig/
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Publish date : 2024-07-29 18:12:00
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