Olympic Star Brutally Mocked By Women For Bragging About Walking Runway On Her Period

Several also questioned why Maher brought men into the conversation at all—as if enduring a period in a swimsuit somehow made her tougher than them.

“What do men have to do with this?” one commenter asked. “You’re not better than men because you walked a runway while bleeding .”

A post shared by Ilona Maher (@ilonamaher)

The tone of Maher’s message struck many as performative and unnecessary. “Some women go to the beach while on their cycle. That’s not bravery. That’s called being a woman,” another argued.

“So stunning, so brave… The bastardization of words really needs to end. Bravery used to mean something.”