Ilona Maher, a central player in the U.S. Women’s Rugby Sevens team, has represented her country in two Olympic Games: first at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and again the 2024 Paris Olympics. But Maher has made clear that she is more than just a great athlete — she is an empowering woman who is not afraid to redefine the stereotypical standard of beauty for women.
If you followed the Olympics on social media over this past summer, chances are that you came across the viral athlete and content creator.
Having gained traction on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, Maher’s internet presence is defined by hilarious skits and impressive athletic feats. She has even ventured onto reality TV show “Dancing With the Stars,” where she finished in second with her dance partner, Alan Bersten.
Born on August 12, 1996, Maher grew up playing sports, including field hockey, basketball, and softball. It wasn’t until she turned seventeen that she shifted her focus to rugby, driven by her waning enthusiasm for softball and the encouragement of her father, a former rugby player himself.
She spent her first year playing collegiate rugby at Norwich University before getting recruited to Quinnipiac University. Maher played for another three years before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. During her time at Quinnipiac, she was named to the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) All-American team all three years, won three NIRA championships, and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the NIRA championships her senior year.
After graduating, Maher went on to play for team USA at the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 tournament held in Paris. She appeared again in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 2022 Rugby World Cup, and, more recently, the 2024 Paris Olympics, where her ride to fame grew not only from her sport, but from her charisma and authenticity online.
Not only is Maher an extremely strong woman on the field, but she is equally strong off of it. After all, she was the first woman to ever lift her male partner on “Dancing With The Stars.” But her strength is far from just physical: grounded in her elite athleticism and work ethics, Maher uses her social media presence to spread body positivity, confidence, and awareness of women in male-dominated sports.
Maher’s social media work is no easy task, given that anyone, anywhere, can comment whatever they want on a video or post they come across. Take, for example, her response to a hate comment aimed at making fun of her body mass index (BMI), Ilona responded in a video: “Hi. Thank you for this comment. I think you were trying to roast me but this is actually a fact. I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 to be more exact … I chatted with my dietitian because I go off of, you know, facts, and not just what pops up here like you do … And BMI doesn’t really tell you what I can do … So, yeah. I do have a BMI of 30. I am considered overweight. But alas, I’m going to the Olympics — and you’re not.”
Maher’s response is truly authentic, while being clever and humorous. Not only does she defuse the attempt at insult from the original comment, but she also transforms it into an opportunity to celebrate what her body can do, rather than how it looks. She embraces her strength, embracing the idea that powerful and beautiful bodies come in all shapes and sizes.
While she is an absolute beast on the field, Ilona Maher has used her fame to promote body positivity, confidence, and self love, blending humor and courage to inspire her followers to unapologetically embrace their true selves.
