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Team USA Rugby Player Ilona Maher Goes Viral Promoting Body Positivity

The Olympian slammed a commenter criticizing her BMI, stating, “BMI doesn’t tell you what I can do.”

Image Credit: Getty Images Ilona Maher promised that her viral online presence is exactly “how [she is] in real life”—a person who can eat a giant croissant after winning bronze for Team USA in women’s rugby sevens just as much as she can calmly shut down haters online who try to body shame. She also mentioned discussing her BMI with dieticians, stating, “because [she goes] off facts,” and explaining, “how it’s really not helpful for athletes.” BMI—short for Body Mass Index—is a formula where a person’s weight (in kilograms) is divided by the square of their height (in meters). The powerful Olympian has since shut down that hater, as well as many others who think they can bring down the athlete with a medal to boot, with her trademark red lipstick and a killer right arm that easily swept her opponents out of her way.

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