If there is any name that we have learned this year, it is definitely the name Ilona Maher. The star rugby player has taken over households all over America and the hearts of the people in every corner.
For those who need a little crash course, here are some of the things that she has notched into her belt this year: the first medal in rugby sevens for the United States at the Paris Olympics, the September digital cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (as the first rugby player to be featured), a growing social media presence (over 6 million followers overall) and an invitation to be part of this year’s “Dancing with the Stars” cast.
She has blasted off into the limelight this year; her name and face is all over the algorithms of Instagram and TikTok. The start of her online fame began as she chronicled her candid experience in the Paris Olympic Village. Maher’s likeable personality and vibrant countenance created an unusually personal angle into the Olympics that the people don’t ever see.
That fanbase has only grown in the past months as Maher participated in Season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars.” Her addition to the DWTS franchise made her the first rugby player (male or female) to compete on the show. Maher was the second Olympian on the cast with Mr. Pommel Horse, Stephen Nedoroscik. She was paired with Alan Bersten, who has won one Mirrorball trophy on DWTS and another Mirrorball for “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.”
The pair hit it off right away and became a duo for the history books. Their TikToks showcased their tight knit bond and journey through the season. It was evident that Alan was the correct choice to be with Maher; he matched her energy well and built her self confidence to new levels.
There were some speculations about whether she would lift Alan and vice versa. Both situations happened tenfold. There were several lifts and spins through their dances that exalted their respective strengths. Maher created a new space of body positivity with just this fact alone: women do not need to be a size 0 to be picked up and they also can be strong enough to lift their friends or partners.
Body positivity is arguably Maher’s biggest brand as an athlete. Her personal motto is “beast. beauty. brains.” and is featured on her personal merch. All of the proceeds from said merch is donated to Girls Rugby Inc.
Her final dance on “Dancing with the Stars,” a freestyle, was to the song “Femininomenon” by pop sensation Chappell Roan. It opened with a locker room set filled with her team’s jerseys and photos from the season. Donned in a tearaway suit that revealed a stunning glitter leotard, our favorite rugby gal danced with abandon in a final message that women can be whoever we want to be, including a strong rugby player that gets down and dirty. It earned them their first perfect score, which was incredibly fitting for her constant efforts. The official video of the dance has over 432,000 views on YouTube at the time of writing.
Maher and Bersten earned their first 10 from Carrie Ann Inaba on Week Seven of the season, the 500th episode celebration. They performed a quick step to “Chuck Berry” that was upbeat and so much fun. They knew how to deliver!
In the finale, Maher placed second overall, after winner and former Bachelor Joey Graziadei. (It is worth noting that Joey’s win is also a win for sports since he is an avid tennis player and coach.)
All of the pairs from the finale went straight to “Good Morning America” for a special feature. When asked about her message of body positivity as a part of DWTS, this is what she had to say: “I think that you can be so much more than people put you in a box as. I’m an amazing athlete and I’m a strong athlete but I also felt like through this, I could show I’m a beautiful dancer and elegant dancer. I can also be smart and whatever else I wanna be.”
She is still reeling and recovering from the physical toll that being on DWTS can put on anyone. It is unknown what else she has up her sleeve but for now, we can continue to marvel at her vulnerability displayed on the daily. All of us at Sports Girls Club and countless women all over the globe are grateful for Ilona’s existence and we can’t wait to be behind her next season on the pitch.
Edited by Breanna Ebisch
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