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What “Dancing With The Stars” contestant Ilona Maher tells herself when she feels insecure about her body

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

The Olympian and rugby player shared in a TikTok video that she “doesn't feel comfortable in her body right now” and wanted to be honest about it with her millions of followers.

Wearing a string bikini, Maher, 28, says it's “OK” because she knows her followers are “hyping” her and she knows that “the mind plays tricks on you” and “tells you different things.”

The athlete, who is currently competing on “Dancing With the Stars,” then revealed four things she tells herself when she doesn’t feel completely comfortable in her body.

“It's hard to always love your body and think it's so great,” says Maher. “Even 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 I'm walking or running, lifting weights or dancing.”
  2. She reminds us that “our bodies are constantly changing and will continue to change for the rest of our lives.”
  3. She allows herself some leniency. Maher knows that her training schedule has been “disrupted” since competing in the Olympics and moving to “DWTS.”
  4. Finally, she takes a deep breath and reminds herself that she is beautiful. “It's OK if you're going through this. There will be ups and downs for the rest of your life,” she says.

Finally, she said that she loves all people and thanked them “for loving me.”

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

Maher rose to fame through her hilarious TikToks about life in the Olympia villa, parodying “Love Island.” She has posted and continues to post body-positive videos, candid and frank clips about people bullying her, and most recently her experience rehearsing for “DWTS” with partner Alan Bersten.

In August, Maher graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. In the accompanying interview, she talked about what she has learned about herself as a rugby player.

“I love that (rugby) has shown me what I can do,” Maher told the magazine. “It's shown me how capable my body is and that it's not just a tool to be looked at and treated as an object.”

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