Ilona Maher and other athletes are using their growing platforms to smash stereotypes, proving there’s beauty and femininity in muscles and athleticism.
It was difficult to miss Ilona Maher at the Paris Olympics this year. If she wasn’t impressing onlookers with her rugby tackles, she was making them laugh with herand posed on the Emmys red carpet, all while steadily increasing her follower count, which now exceeds 4.3 million on Instagram and 3.1 million on TikTok. Though her humour is certainly part of the appeal, it’s her stance on body image and beauty standards that has transformed her into a household name..
“Fatphobia and appearance-related stigmas have often been cloaked in wellness talk. People would say, ‘we’re worried about her health, that’s why we’re shaming her’. Athletes obviously can’t fit into that because they’re super healthy, but usually look bigger, strong, almost traditionally masculine. They’re challenging that narrative.”
As perceptions shift, more women are turning to strength-based sports. Powerlifting coach Thomas Lilley says 36.5 per cent of the Australian Powerlifting League’s membership was female in 2022. Now, it’s 42 per cent.
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