Ilona Maher reacts after being named alongside Simone Biles, LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo among others in SportsPro Top 10 marketable athletes

Ilona Maher recently shared her reaction after being ranked among the top 10 most marketable athletes by SportsPro in 2024. Among notable names in the list, the American rugby star has earned the eighth spot.

The list was topped by Simone Biles as the most marketable athlete and also featured other prominent female athletes like Rebeca Andrade, basketball sensation Caitlin Clark, and swimmer Katie Ledecky. Football icons Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Vinicius Junior, and Kylian Mbappé made the cut, along with the NBA's all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, who secured the third spot.

The SportsPro’s marketability ranking for the year 2024 was determined using a three-pillar system to assess athletes - Brand Strength (global presence and brand affinity), Total Addressable Market (fan base reach and engagement), and Economics (impact on people, profit, and social responsibility), in collaboration with NorthStar Solutions Group.

Maher took to her Instagram to react to the post of the top 10 marketable athletes on the list that featured her.

Reacting to this post, she added on her Instagram story, expressing her surprise:

“Whhaaatttttt?!?!”

Screenshot of Ilona Maher’s Instagram story. Credits - IG/ ilonamaher

Notably, Maher featured at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was instrumental in helping the USA rugby sevens win the bronze medal by producing a huge upset against Australia in the bronze medal match. Additionally, she is consistently known for inspiring young girls on body positivity through her platform.

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“It's important for me that it's never just one and done”- Ilona Maher on the importance of promoting body positivity

Ilona Maher. PHOTO: Getty Images

Ilona Maher shared the importance of promoting body positivity through her platform. While she acknowledged that she has come to accept and appreciate her own body, she recognized that many girls are still struggling to embrace their bodies as they are. In an interview during the Paris Olympics, she said:

“I think it's important for me because I've gotten to a place where I'm pretty accepting of my body and I appreciate it in a way. But I know a lot of girls aren't in that place and it works to see somebody who is. And for me, it's important to do a constant stream of it because you'll still see one video on BMI and feel really good about, like, 'Wow I feel good about myself.' But then three videos down is something that makes you feel bad.”’

She also emphasized that the practice of sharing content to counter negative remarks about body image needs to be done constantly because a single video isn’t just enough to promote it. Notably, Ilona Maher has addressed topics on cellulite and body mass index (BMI) on her platform.