Ilona Maher’s photoshoot with Sports Illustrated has garnered a lot of praise from fans online as she wows on the swimsuit cover of the magazine’s August issue. Ben Watts photographed the athlete in several swimsuits from MYRA SWIM, HAUS OF PINK LEMONAID, mare perpetua and Norma Kamali, to name a few, and she was even seen flaunting her recent Olympic medal in several shots.

Maher led the U.S. women’s rugby team to its first-ever bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and now her fans have praised her recent appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated for promoting body positivity.

Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher strips off for hot Sports Illustrated cover

Speaking to Sports Illustrated, the 28-year-old athlete revealed that her victory was far from an overnight success story. Her father, Michael Maher, who was also a rugby player, encouraged her to take up the sport at the age of 17. Thanks to her diligence and hard work, she became one of the best rugby players in the country.

Ilona Maher now has over six million followers on social media platforms and is reportedly the most followed female rugby player on Instagram. She often promotes body positivity on her social media accounts. She told Sports Illustrated: “I’ve always been, you know, labelled masculine or something. But I’ve never felt that way. But I don’t think you’re going to bully the girl who could probably beat you up in a fit of rage.”

The athlete added: “I love that (rugby) has shown me what I can do. It has shown me how capable my body is and that it is not just a tool to be looked at and objectified.” Unfortunately, like most female athletes, fame also brings criticism. However, that has not broken Maher’s fighting spirit and she has not shied away from contradicting her haters.

Maher has repeatedly spoken out about the harsh conditions and obstacles faced by female athletes, as there is a huge gender gap in the sporting world, particularly in rugby. In her interview with Sports Illustrated, she spoke about how female rugby players earn much less than their male counterparts, barely making “minimum wage.” This forces many to take on an additional job while male rugby players “make millions of dollars.”

Maher also revealed that since her return, she has received brand endorsements, messages, inquiries and representation offers. She looked stunning in a series of beautiful swimsuits during the shoot. The cover was posted on Sports Illustrated’s Instagram account, where it was praised by fans around the world.

The post Rugby player Ilona Maher promotes body positivity in Sports Illustrated swimsuit photos appeared first on theFashionSpot.