Courtesy of Team USA
Whether she’s making tackles in rugby or dancing a pasodoble, Ilona Maher has inspired and empowered so many women and girls.
Many fans were introduced to Ilona Maher during the 2020 and 2024 Olympics with her performance on the rugby field and her outgoing personality. In Paris, she and Team USA won their first Olympic medal in the women’s rugby sevens with a bronze medal win over Australia.
Maher didn’t begin playing rugby until she was 17. In college, she played for a year with Norwich University, then transferred to Quinnipiac University where she won three National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) championships, was named to the NIRA All-American team all three years, won the MA Sorensen Award as the top collegiate women’s rugby player in the country, and was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player in the NIRA Championships her senior year. In 2018, she was selected to the USA national rugby sevens team.
Fans followed along with Maher during the 2020 and 2024 Olympics on TikTok where she shared her experience as an Olympic athlete and Olympic medalist.
Maher uses her social media platforms to share her life as an Olympic-level athlete and to show her unapologetic and down-to-earth personality, as well as to promote body positivity and to support women’s sports.
Courtesy of USA Today
As a star at the Olympics, Maher became incredibly busy once she returned from Paris. One of her most memorable and impactful moments following the Olympics was when she appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition in September. In her interview with Sports Illustrated, she opened up about the gender gap in sports, especially rugby, body image, and handling fame.
Maher said that while men can play rugby and let that be their whole career, women need a job or sponsorships (which are harder for them to get than men) on top of their income from the sport to make a living. No matter how good they are at their sport, women have to work harder than men to make money and get recognition, and Maher is open about this reality.
She also discussed the criticism and negativity women athletes face. Even as an Olympic medalist with the ability to tackle just about anybody, Maher has experienced degrading comments about her body. While she is not bothered by such comments, and is quick to come up with witty comebacks and roasts, she worries about how other women and girls will be impacted by them.
Playing rugby helped Maher embrace her body and discover herself. While she is open about the discussion of body image and having insecurities, she expresses self-acceptance especially within her sport, and confidence, which is incredibly refreshing and inspiring for women athletes.
She expressed to Sports Illustrated how daunting fame and being considered a role model are. I think it’s safe to say, though, that Maher’s honesty, humility, and humanity, in addition to her skills as an athlete, make her an incredible role model, especially to women and girls in sports.
Courtesy of Ilona Maher (@ilonamaher) on Instagram
Many more fans were introduced to Maher on Season 33 of “Dancing with the Stars.”
From her creative and funny TikToks with her partner Alan Bersten to her growth throughout the season on the dance floor, Maher was a fan favorite from the beginning of the latest season.
Maher made history as the first woman on the show to lift her male partner. She was also lifted by her partner, something that made her feel feminine. All of Maher’s dances were perfectly choreographed by Bersten to capture her beauty and strength.
In the Season 33 finale, Maher danced her freestyle to Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon.” In her dance, Maher made us laugh and cry, and most importantly, she made women feel empowered.
In her package before her dance was aired, she said, “I chose this song for all the girls who see themselves in me. I am strong and powerful but I also can be graceful. So the Mirrorball won’t be so much for me. I think it will be for all the girls who have been told they are too big or they are too muscular and they are not pretty.”
While Maher may have come in second place, the impact she’s made and the inspiration she’s become for so many women and girls means so much more than a trophy.
No matter what Maher does next, it is guaranteed she will keep us entertained and inspired.
Ilona Maher, thank you for being a bright light, inspiration, and role model for so many women. Never stop being you.
Edited Giana Robertaccio