Interviewer blasted for challenging rugby star Ilona Maher on not having imposter syndrome
An interviewer has been criticized for repeatedly questioning Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher about how she doesn’t suffer from imposter syndrome, which makes people doubt that they’ve earned their success.
The 28-year-old Olympian was asked how she “overcomes imposter syndrome” during a recent interview with CNN anchor Christina Macfarlane.
“I don’t have that,” Maher responded in a video posted on CNN’s Instagram. “No, I don’t know what that is. It’s like when you don’t feel like you deserve it, right?”
Macfarlane appeared to be surprised by Maher’s answer, asking: “What?” The rugby star then reiterated that she didn’t think she had the psychological phenomenon.
Yet the interviewer pressed again: “How is that possible? I feel like imposter syndrome ruins my life sometimes.” Maher made it clear in response that she believes she “deserves what [she’s] gotten.”
“I think that I’ve worked very hard, even in the rugby space,” she explained. “I’ve played sports my whole life.”
She pointed out that her rugby career dates back to when she was in high school and college, way before she first represented the U.S. Women’s Rugby team in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I do all the work off the field,” she added. “I posted videos consistently from Tokyo until now. I posted many videos a day. I put myself out there. I put my whole personality, my whole everything out there.”
Macfarlane responded: “So basically you’re just saying don’t even acknowledge it?”
Maher yet again said she didn’t think she had imposter syndrome, before Macrfarlane added: “I love it.”
“I think people are told sometimes to think they have that,” Maher continued. “But it’s okay to be proud of what you’ve done, and it’s okay to believe you deserve something because you’ve put in the work for it.”
In the comments about the video interview posted on Instagram, many fans criticized Macfarlane for continuing to question Maher about having imposter syndrome after she answered the first question about the issue.
“The reporter still doesn’t get it. Reporter: ‘So you just don’t acknowledge it? ... No, she’s proud of her hard work & deserves her success. Stop putting your insecurities on confident women,” one wrote.
“The journalist is not a girl’s girl and it really shows,” another claimed, while a third wrote: “Assuming somebody has imposter syndrome is crazy.”
“Why would you even ask her that? Of course she deserves it. Would you ask a man the same question?” another commented.
Other fans went on to applaud Maher for highlighting how hard she has worked for all her success and for taking pride in that.
“I’ve been watching her for a while and she 100 percent deserves where she is now!” one fan noted.
“Listen to what she’s saying very clearly,” another wrote. “She is saying: ‘I put in the work I put in the work every day on many different levels.’ 100 percent she deserves all of this. She’s talented and smart and engaging, but she puts in the work every day and do not be fooled. It is a lot of work.”
The Independent has contacted a representative for CNN for comment.
Maher previously shared her take on imposter syndrome in a video posted to her TikTok last month, urging viewers to “stop asking women how we deal with imposter syndrome.”
“I’ve been asked this a couple of times in interviews, ‘How do I deal with imposter syndrome?’ And every time I sit back and think, ‘Did I say I have imposter syndrome?’” she explained in the video. “So are you saying you automatically assume I must not feel that I am deserving of where I’m at?”
She continued: “It’s interesting. You think they’re asking NFL players, male politicians if they have imposter syndrome? Probably not.”
Maher reiterated how hard she has worked in her career, noting that she was filming that video as she was out on a run. She said that while she feels that she’s earned her success, she also remains “respectful” of other athletes.
“But I’m also humble in knowing that there are people working just as hard, if not harder, to be where I’m at now,” she said. “And I have to keep working that way.”
