4 things Olympian Ilona Maher tells herself when she feels self-conscious about her body

Ilona Maher is here to give people a pep talk, including herself.

The Olympian and rugby player shared in a TikTok video that she’s “not feeling too body confident right now” and wanted to keep it real with her millions of followers.

Wearing a string bikini, Maher, 28, said it’s “OK” because she knows that her followers will “hype” her up and she knows that “the mind be playing tricks” and “telling you different things.”

The athlete, who is currently competing on “Dancing With the Stars,” then shared four things that she tells herself when she’s not feeling the best about her body.

“It’s hard to love your body all the time and to think it’s just so amazing,” Maher says. “Even myself, I have a problem with that.”

So what does she do?

1. She tries to remember what her body does for her and how strong it is. She says, “Whether it’s go on a walk or I go on a run, I go lift weights, I go dance.”
2. She remembers that “our bodies are constantly changing and will constantly change the rest of our lives.”
3. She gives herself some grace. Maher knows that her workout schedule “has been off” since competing in the Olympics and transitioning to “DWTS.”
4. Lastly, she takes a breath and reminds herself she’s beautiful. “It’s OK if you’re going through this. It’s going to be ups and down for the rest of your life,” she says.

She signed off by saying she loves everyone and thanked people “for loving me.”

During the Paris Olympics, Maher and her team won their first Olympic medal in rugby sevens, securing the bronze medal.

Maher went viral for her hilarious TikToks about life in the Olympic “Villa,” which parodied “Love Island.” She also posted, and continues to post, body-positive videos, raw and candid clips about people bullying her and most recently, her experience rehearsing for “DWTS” with partner Alan Bersten.

Back in August, Maher graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. In the accompanying interview, she spoke about what being a rugby player taught her about herself.

“I love that (rugby) showed me what I can do,” Maher told the magazine. “It showed me how capable my body is and it’s not just like a tool to be looked at and objectified.”

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