My favorite athlete on Team USA is Ilona Maher, arguably the most well-known US women's rugby player. I discovered her through social media, where she is well known for spreading body positivity and incredible videos of her power being displayed. She is one of the Rugby Sevens, and a two-time Olympic athlete. Ilona Maher is my favorite athlete on Team USA because her determination, strength and body positivity is an inspiration to myself and young girls who grow up watching her. Ilona Maher has been playing Rugby since she was seventeen. Maher competed at the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco, then went to Tokyo to compete in the 2021 Olympics, and she is currently playing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. As if being an Olympic athlete was not enough, she also has a master's degree in business, a degree in Nursing, and her own skin care line. When asked about the difficulty of being a world-renowned Rugby player and simultaneously working towards her nursing degree, she explains how much she enjoys keeping her brain busy. Ilona Maher is my favorite Olympic athlete because she demonstrates determination and an unmatched work ethic. I am also working towards a degree in healthcare, and if she can do it while being an Olympic athlete, I can earn a degree while simply watching Rugby. When it comes to Olympic athletes, determination and strength usually go hand-in-hand, and Ilona Maher is no exception. Her tackles are unmatched and her presence on the field leaves viewers in awe. Maher can be seen charging down the field with her head down, and stiff-arming anyone who gets close to her. She is very well known for pushing through players and tackling them on the way to a try (goal in rugby terms). For these reasons, it is an inspiration to see a woman being celebrated for her strength. I first came across Ilona Maher on social media, and I admit that I did not know anything about Rugby back then. Maher creates videos on TikTok and Instagram that show the behind the scenes of the Olympics, but she also goes a step further at engaging with her fans by celebrating body characteristics that have historically not been considered "feminine". Ilona Maher discusses how her view of her body changed when she found Rugby. At 5'10 200lbs and wide shoulders, she grew up being told she looked too "manly", but strongly credits these characteristics to why she is so dominating in the Rugby world. In an interview with NCAA, she stated “As women, a lot of times our body has been this object to be looked at, something to be objectified, and I hate that there’s girls out there who don’t know or think they don’t have a purpose for their body, so they want to change it constantly". Being 5’10" with wide shoulders and over 200lbs myself, I know that this statement will resonate with young girls who are growing up feeling like they are not “feminine enough”. Ilona Maher is an inspiration to me because she is teaching young girls and women that their body has a purpose and is capable so much more than just looking a certain way. Ilona Maher is my favorite athlete on Team USA because like her famous hashtag, she is the embodiment of beast, beauty, brains. Maher exhibits extraordinary determination, strength, and female empowerment. She is an inspiration both on and off the field, and I can say that she personally made me a Rugby fan.