Olympic medalist Ilona Maher had an epic response to a 2009 quote by supermodel Kate Moss, who told fashion website WWD that, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”
Although the interview was widely criticized as pro-anorexia and used to shame women for their eating choices, the mantra appeared to inspire Maher to share a message of self-love in a TikTok video posted on July 13.
In her kitchen, Maher is seen flexing her muscles and showing off her body in a black sports bra and shorts as she quotes Moss’s infamous line:
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels… Uh, y’all tried being strong?'
"I feel good, I feel well fed. I feel ready to take on anybody."
"You guys gotta try this sh*t, it is a different level. I love it.”
We love witnessing the bold confidence of the American Rugby winner, who took bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Born in Vermont, Maher has been playing rugby since she was 17 and also participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
She is well-known for using her platform to advocate for body positivity and is the most-followed rugby player on Instagram with over 5.1 million followers.
Not to mention, she has excellent taste in desserts.
Maher concluded her video with:
“Also, have you guys tasted tiramisu? Because that sh*t… my God.”
A tiramisu with a cup of hot coffee, hell yeah girl!
You can watch Maher’s TikTok video below:
@ilonamaher Y’all gotta try this
And this has been quite a summer of Maher taking on the fashion world. Last month, she was featured in the Sports Illustrated Miami Swim Week show with zero walking prep… and while on her period.
In an Instagram Reel featuring Donny Osmond’s “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” playing, Maher captioned a video of herself dancing in a white bikini:
“Men think they are tough but they'll never do Miami Swim Week wearing only bikinis while on their period like I did.”
In an Instagram video posted on June 21, you can see Maher strutting her way down the runway in a sexy blue halter swimsuit:
After adding "fashion model" to her resume, Maher gave an interview to the Today show about how much she enjoyed her time at the fashion show and how her 2025 Sports Illustrated cover will inspire society to embrace all types of body shapes.
Maher explained:
“I love it. I love showing my body. I love showing what this body has done for me…I think other girls seeing that, and feeling like, ‘Oh my gosh, I look like her, I have the frame of her,’ not only has helped me and made me feel more confident, I think it helps others.”
On Maher’s TikTok, fans praised the athlete for her advocacy and body positivity messages:
@naps_and_cats/TikTok
@user74628573628/TikTok
@leah_lte/TikTok
@osrjuan/TikTok
@kalee_rae_/TikTok
@amirra_draws21/TikTok
@labor_junkie_rn/TikTok
@runjenrun73/TikTok
@stillallyfromtheblock/TikTok
@dee_dubsTikTok
@pitchprincess/TikTok
@m0ther0fdaughters/TikTok
Maher is currently collaborating with Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, on a docuseries about Maher’s career and life both on and off the rugby field. Maher also started a podcast with her sisters, Olivia and Adrianna, called House of Maher, where they discuss topics like social media, dating, and their personal lives.
You can watch the trailer for their podcast below:
- YouTubeHouse of Maher/YouTube