Posted 1 hour agoSubscribe to BuzzFeed Daily NewsletterCaret DownPeople Who Grew Up Surrounded By Toxic Diet Culture Are Applauding Ilona Maher's Response To Kate Moss's Regrettable "Nothing Tastes As Good As Skinny Feels" Quote"I wish we had more of her in the media when I was growing up in the early 2000s."by Leyla MohammedBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink In recent months, Ilona Maher has won praise for her honest comments on body image and acceptance. Kevin Winter / Getty Images When she featured in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue earlier this year, the 28-year-old rugby player - who won bronze with the US at the 2024 Olympics - quickly made it known that her journey to self-love wasn't necessarily an easy one. "Thank you to @si_swimsuit for once again letting me showcase my strong, powerful body and for making me feel so beautiful," she wrote on Instagram. "For young Ilona wearing a bikini was once unthinkable but now I'd actually prefer to be prancing around in one. Stay sexy, folks." View this photo on Instagram Instagram: @ilonamaher And after walking in a swimsuit at the Miami Swim Show last month, Ilona had the perfect response when asked if it was "tough." She said, "I love it. I love showing my body. I love showing what this body has done for me...I think other girls seeing that, and feeling like, 'Oh my gosh, I look like her, I have the frame of her' not only has helped me and made me feel more confident, I think it helps others." John Parra / Getty Images for Sports Illustrated "You can be just as confident, feel as beautiful as I do," she added. The athlete won praise from fans who found her comment super refreshing, especially following years of toxic diet culture. And more recently, Ilona directly addressed said diet culture in a candid TikTok, during which she perfectly discredited Kate Moss's regrettably infamous quote from the '00s: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." Randy Brooke / WireImage "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels... Uh, y'all tried being strong?" Ilona said as she flexed her muscles. "I feel good, I feel well fed. I feel ready to take on anybody." @ilonamaher / Via tiktok.com "You guys gotta try this shit, it is a different level," she said. "I love it." @ilonamaher / Via tiktok.com Ilona then added, "Also, have you guys tasted tiramisu? Because... my God." @ilonamaher / Via tiktok.com Reacting to the TikTok, several Reddit users praised Ilona for her refreshing take. "What a queen. I am so grateful to have a role model like her, wish my high school self could've seen this. It makes me want to cry, it would have flipped a switch in my brain," one person said. Ivan Apfel / Getty Images "I love her so much and she's so right, I've literally never felt more confident than when I started putting on muscle and feeling more steady and strong on my feet," someone wrote. "I just love her. And she's right- being strong is the shit!" another person agreed."Gosh I wish we had more of her in the media when I was growing up in the early 2000s," one comment read. "I love Ilona so much, I wish I had a role model like her growing up. She's also gorgeous!! Makes me a little hopeful for the future with women like her," someone else wrote. Love to see it.