PARIS — Ilona Maher and Chase Jackson know they don’t have the body type most people associate with a World Olympian, but they’re OK with that because they’re determined to change that stereotype.
Maher, a social media star and member of the U.S. women’s rugby team, is 5’10” tall and 200 pounds of muscular build. Jackson, the U.S. shot putter, is also 5’10” and stocky. That’s not how you picture the U.S. team star. Women in Olympic ads tend to be svelte, with long, lean legs, blonde hair and just the right amount of muscle, but nothing more.
In other words, it’s one of those impossible standards that, like almost all media consumed by women around the world, but especially in America, is a given.
What if there was another way?
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Over the next few weeks, Maher and Jackson will be on the stage to help elevate their niche sport to greater global acceptance, hoping not just to win medals in their particular events and attract new fans, but also to elevate the ongoing conversation about women’s bodies.
“I always want to get people interested in rugby. I think it’s the best sport in the world,” said Maher, who led the U.S. women’s rugby team to a 2-0 victory Sunday in pool play. The U.S. plays France in its final pool game on Monday before advancing to the knockout stage.
“But I encourage boys and girls to play any sport because I believe sport has the power to change lives and show what their bodies can do. It’s not just something to be objectified and looked at.”
“There’s more than one way to look like an athlete, there’s more than one way to be beautiful.”
It took a while for Jackson, a former high school track star who won the 100-meter sprint at New Mexico State in 2012, to realize that “strength is beautiful.”
“When I was younger, I towered over all the boys in my grade and it seemed like I wasn’t a top dancer,” Jackson said. “It was hard. People would say, ‘You’re as tough as a bull!’ And I’m like, ‘Don’t say that, I’m only 12.'”
Her journey to accepting her body didn’t happen overnight.
“It took me a long time to feel confident enough to go out there (in the shot put ring) and wear what I wanted,” Jackson said. “Growing up, we’re shown one body and if it’s not your body, we’re put down. I think it became important for me to talk about this because I want people to know that there’s not just one way to look athletic, there’s not just one way to be beautiful. It’s a really important message.”
Both have worked hard to get that message across to their social media followers. Maher is particularly active online, with more than 2.7 million followers across TikTok and Instagram combined. Her social media following exploded in popularity in Tokyo, where fans were banned because of the coronavirus and quarantined players had to think outside the box to communicate with fans.
Her profile has exploded in popularity, seeping into mainstream culture. She jokingly calls herself “America’s Sweetheart,” which may not be too far from the truth. One reason is that her body positivity themes permeate every post. Her words especially resonate with young women, and that’s intentional.
“I put out a positive message first, and then as they’re scrolling[on social media]I put out messages that remind them of what beauty used to be,” Maher said, “so for me it’s important to keep saying what I believe and keep showing that to young girls.”
One of Maher’s rugby teammates, Naya Tapper, echoed Maher’s call for more women and body types in all sports, emphasizing the need for diversity, saying tennis star Serena Williams has always impressed her.
“She was the first person to show me that muscle was a beautiful thing on a woman,” Tapper said.
“I’m girly and I like girly things.”
But it’s not just what athletes say that matters — it’s also what they show off.
Maher debuted her Olympic bikini model role on TikTok last week, and has posted about the theme “any body type can be an Olympian,” with many of her videos showcasing the body diversity of the Olympic Village.
Meanwhile, Jackson, who will compete in the shot put preliminaries on August 8, wants people to know that “I’m a girl, and I like to be a girl.” She does just that at every competition, wearing a noticeable amount of makeup and becoming especially artistic when it comes to designing her eye makeup. (Like many women around the world, she learns makeup tips from YouTube tutorials.)
Jackson travels with so much makeup that each one needs its own suitcase, and she keeps an eye out for brands endorsed by drag queens because the makeup won’t come off when she performs in hot, sweaty environments.
“I love makeup and in 2022, it made me feel like I should show it off,” she said. “It became really important for me to assert my creativity and show girls that you don’t have to be wild to be an athlete and have people respect you. You can be feminine if you want to.”
She said throwers in particular have long been shrouded in a veil of masculinity, and she wants people, especially young girls who might be interested in the sport, to know that it’s not their only option.
She occasionally gets contacted by these young women who message her on Twitter or Instagram to show her new products they’ve bought or makeup tricks they’ve learned from her, and she says one such comment can erase hundreds of negative ones.
The biggest takeaway she’s gotten from these messages is that other girls are listening to her, and they want her, Maher, and others who resist traditional notions of beauty to keep talking.
Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media. Lindsay Schnell
