Olympian Ilona Maher Is Going Viral For Roasting Someone Who Commented On Her Weight, And It’s Amazing

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“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.”

Between Steve the pommel horse guy, Simone Biles’ clap backs, the gold-winning United States women’s gymnastics team, and the viral drama of the Olympic Village, there’s been no shortage of conversation-starting moments at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Now, Rugby Sevens Olympian Ilona Maher is going viral for not only winning bronze for Team USA and being freaking hilarious (seriously, her behind-the-scenes content deserves its own gold medal), but also for iconically calling out the haters.

After a body-shaming commenter criticized Maher’s weight, writing, “I bet that person has a 30% BMI,” on one of her videos, Maher politely shut them down with facts.

She began, “Hi, thank you for this comment. I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually a fact. I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be more exact.”

Maher recounted feeling embarrassed throughout her life for being told she was “overweight” due to the BMI scale. She said, “I’ve been considered overweight my whole life. In middle school, elementary school, high school, I was always considered overweight. I remember vividly one time in high school, I had to turn a physical into the office, and at the bottom of the page it said, ‘overweight.’ I was so embarrassed to turn that in and to have that written there. 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,” she said, tapping her head. “You know, like you do,” she continued, laughing.

“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, your weight, and what that equals.”

While BMI, or Body Mass Index, has been historically used to estimate body fat, many doctors argue it’s outdated and flawed as it does not consider muscle mass (which athletes have more of), bone density, overall body composition, and racial and sex differences. It was a standard created off data from white European men, so critics say it has little validity for other racial and ethnic groups. 

Maher continued, “I’ve said it before: I’m 5’10, 200 pounds. I have about, and this is an estimate, but about 170 pounds of lean mass on me,” she nodded before continuing, “Do that math in your head. You probably can’t.”

Many athletes measure their body composition to maintain their ideal body makeup for their sport (and every athlete is different), which can impact their performance and health. Typically, losing body fat while maintaining or increasing lean mass (which includes muscle, bone, and water makeup) is favorable for many athletes. However, since muscle is denser than fat, more muscle gained means a higher weight and a higher BMI, often putting athletes in the ‘overweight’ or sometimes ‘obese’ category, which is often why BMI is inaccurate.

If Maher has 85% lean mass, she has about 15% body fat, which is reportedly normal for female athletes (14-20% body fat). Comparatively, an average woman non-athlete might have 25-31% body fat.

“That’s pretty crazy, right?” Maher said. “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. It’s just a couple of numbers put together. It doesn’t tell you how much muscle I have or anything like that.”

She ended, “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.”

You tell ’em, girl.

Of course, the Internet erupted with praise afterward:

Including bringing the receipts showing her killing it for Team USA at the Olympic Games.

In a previous viral video, she showed the food she eats as an athlete. “I think there’s some misconceptions about what athletes eat,” she said, showing a plate of various breads. “Fuel up, don’t stay hungry.”

In another video, she talked about how cellulite is normal. “I am a literal Olympian,” she said. “I have cellulite everywhere. It is completely normal, completely natural.”

And before the opening ceremony last week, she made a quick clip reminding her followers to recognize that all body types are beautiful and capable of Olympic-like feats. “As the Olympics officially start today, I want you all to take a look at all the different body types on display. All body types matter. All body types are worthy from the smallest gymnast to the tallest volleyball player, from a rugby player to a shot-putter and a sprinter,” she said.

“All bodies are beautiful and can do amazing things. So truly see yourself in these athletes and know you can do it, too,” she ended. 

Basically, she’s my new queen.