Ilona Maher Is Extremely Close With Her Sisters

Ilona Maher is a professional American rugby player. She is widely celebrated for her successes. Maher won three national intercollegiate titles for rugby. She took part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but her team was unfortunately ousted. However, in the Paris 2024 Olympics, Maher managed to win a bronze medal. Her incredible win made her go viral all over social media. Over the tenure of the Olympics, Maher’s social media followers increased with a gigantic jump. She surpassed Siya Kolisi and Sonny Williams to become the most-followed rugby player on Instagram with over 3.5 million followers. She is also incredibly popular on TikTok.

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/h657FgYCIN

— Ilona Maher (@ilona_maher) August 8, 2024

Ilona Maher’s Upbringing

Maher was born in 1996 to parents Michael and Mieneke Maher. Both her parents inspired her to follow their journeys. While Micheal Maher was a rugby player, Mieneke Maher was a nurse. Ilona went to Quinnipiac University and received her nursing degree in 2018. She once said that she loved the one-on-one interactions with her patients and loved the impact a hospital stay can have on a patient. Nursing made Maher stay grounded and be more compassionate and genuine towards people.

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Although Ilona tried basketball and softball during her teenage years, she fell in love with rugby when she was around 17. She explained that her father, who was a rugby coach at a nearby high school, had a great impact on her. She attended a few matches but completely dedicated herself to the sport towards the end of her high school.

Maher explained her love for the sport by stating that rugby was a combination of all the sports she used to play earlier into one. She also said she felt an instant connection with it.

Maher’s Milestones

While studying nursing, Maher also played rugby for her university and proved herself by winning three intercollegiate Rugby Association titles. She was also awarded the best women’s rugby player in 2017. After graduating, she played at the France sevens where her team was placed fifth. Maher debuted at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Her team finished sixth. In the Olympics 2024 in Paris, Team USA scored a bronze medal.

On #InternationalWomensDay, we recognise the power of rugby to empower change globally 🙌@ChildFundRugby Ambassador and rugby superstar @ilona_maher is just one of the many inspirational women at the centre of this change 🤝

A glimpse into Ilona’s support 👇

— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) March 8, 2024

Maher first went viral during covid-19 which impacted the Olympics 2020. She gained massive fame by posting TikTok videos about the behind-the-scenes at the Olympics. She showed life at the Olympic Village and gave her followers an inside scoop into the daily life of the participants.

Ilona Maher Is An Advocate For Body Positivity

Maher has repeatedly used her platform to promote body positivity. She explained that there is not just one body type that belongs to feminine women. In an after-the-match interview, Maher became emotional about this topic. She stated that her main goal is to prove that she can be feminine along with being able to tackle during rugby matches. She defies the stereotypes attached to women playing sports. She does this with her infamous hashtag #beastbeautybrains on Instagram.

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Dream Team looks good on you, @ilona_maher 😎

Congrats on a well deserved nomination 👏 pic.twitter.com/qN1YcWExZb

— USA Rugby (@USARugby) March 4, 2024

Maher put a commentator in her place when she tried to make fun of her for having a BMI of 30. Maher replied that she was considered overweight her entire life and was humiliated being associated with this label. She said that this was the reason for her preaching about body positivity. She does not want young girls to be in her shoes. She wants them to be self-confident about their image and to understand that athletes are of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Ilona Maher’s Sisters

Ilona has an older sister, Olivia, and a younger sister, Adrianna Maher. Ilona is not the only star in her family, her sister, Olivia originated the viral ‘girl dinner’ trend on Instagram. While Olivia is a content creator, Adrianna works at a human rights organization

Ilona is blessed with a very supportive family who attend most of her games around the world. They cheer the loudest for her. Her close-knit family plays an important role in Ilona’s success as a rugby player.

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