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By Stephanie Vargas
With the rising popularity of social media influencers, aesthetics suddenly appear in the public eye and then leave just as quickly with most targeting female audiences. In a culture so convoluted with the latest trends and the newest, hottest thing, how does someone not lose their identity succumbing to the sea of popular culture?
Two Olympians, Sha’Carri Richardson and Ilona Maher, offer insight on the matter.
Track and Field athlete Sha’Carri Richardson is the sixth-fastest woman in recorded history after running the 100m in 10.72 seconds in 2021. She then went on to beat this record in 2023 during preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics, running the 100m in 10.57 seconds. Just as incredible is rugby player Ilona Maher, a two-time Olympian who helped Team USA secure its first-ever medal in the sport just this Tuesday at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Athletes are expected to look the part, to present themselves only as athletes and not stand out. In spite of this, Richardson sports long, vibrant nails and beautiful hairstyles. She lets her nails express the vibe she brings to the track on any given day and her long hair or intricate braided styles never get in the way of her stellar performance. In fact, Richardson’s style only adds to her excellence, which is then exuded and felt through photos of her crossing the finish line first.
Similarly, Maher does not sacrifice self-expression for the sake of expectation. She is a big proponent of being who you are on and off the field. For Maher, this includes wearing bright lipstick to highlight part of her identity–her femininity. When she is off the rugby field, Maher can still be seen showing off her femininity in her behavior and fashion.
One might think, what is the point of wearing makeup in such a rough, high-contact sport? It will just get messed up. Or why wear extra-long fake nails? They will just get in the way. Richardson and Maher are prime examples that these comments are not concerning to the athletes at all. Their self-expression makes them feel good about themselves, which only helps in their performance as Olympic athletes.
These women have a strong idea of who they are, so in an era of fast-paced consumerism, they do not lose themselves to the trends. It is exciting and inspiring to see them being who they are in spite of who they are expected to be.
