Ilona Maher poses in topless Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photoshoot following her Paris Olympic exploits

Ilona Maher posted a top-less picture from her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover issue, following her Paris Olympic success. She clinched her debut Olympic medal at the 2024 Games and continues to advocate for body positivity.

Maher started posting videos in her first Olympic edition in Tokyo 2021, vocalizing the presence of as much feminity in athletes associated with masculine sports. She continued her advocacy at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she and her team aimed to break the stereotypes around women's sports by applying makeup before their matches.

In August, one of her re-surfaced posts saw her silencing a commenter, who trolled Maher for having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30.

"I think you were trying to roast me, but this actually is a fact. I do have a BMI of 30 — well, 29.3 to be more exact..."

The 28-year-old recently graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and put the world on notice with her beach snaps. She posed topless with the Olympic bronze medal around her neck on her Instagram handle, captioning the post:

"Here’s a picture of me with my shirt off to start your Friday."

The US women's rugby sevens athlete once talked about preaching body positivity, inspiring young girls to feel great in their bodies.

"It’s just like I always preach, and it is really important for me to constantly preach because the message never stops and young girls have to be like, ‘Oh, man, OK, I feel great about my body," she said, via The Associated Press.

Maher, the most followed rugby player on Instagram, was announced as the brand ambassador of Secret deodorant in 2024. She is also the co-founder of the skincare brand, Medalist.

"I was always like, you know, called masculine but I never felt that way": Ilona Maher

; Ilona Maher attends the NeueHouse x Mack & Rita Premiere at NeueHouse Los Angeles Source: Getty

Ilona Maher graced the September digital issue of Sports Illustrated, owing to her revolutionary personality and for being a 'feminist trailblazer', as noted by editor-in-chief MJ Day. In an interview with the digital magazine, Maher shared how she never felt masculine despite being called so.

"I was always like, you know, called masculine or whatever. But I never felt that way. But I don't think you're going to bully the girl who could probably beat you up in a rage," she told SI.

The Vermont native also expressed gratitude to her sport for offering her a platform to show what her body was capable of.

She was also named one of the celebrities of Dancing With the Stars season 33, partnered with Alan Bersten.