Meet Ilona Maher: U.S. Women's Rugby sevens star, TikTok sensation and bronze medallist at Paris 2024 Olympics
Ilona Maher is lighting up the Olympic Games with her rugby sevens skills and some hilarious videos around the village at Paris 2024.
The U.S. athlete scored tries in all three group games and helped Team USA to a first ever medal in the event, a bronze, after their dramatic 14-12 win against Australia on Tuesday (30 July).
Away from the pitch, Maher is building a huge social media following, one that shows no sign of stopping given the quality of content on show.
From promoting body positivity to posing with Snoop Dogg, Maher is showing the powerful side of social media by broadcasting her inclusive and all-round infectious personality to the world.
“People are always like, you're so unapologetically yourself," she told Olympics.com before Paris 2024.
"And I'm like, what is everybody else doing out here? I don't even try to be that. It's just how I am. There's probably quotes about 'it's so much easier to just be yourself than to be anybody else', and so I never even thought about that. That's just how I am.”
How Ilona Maher built a huge social media following
Maher was already a social media sensation but her videos at Paris 2024 have seen her become the most followed active rugby player on the planet, with the 27-year-old racking up 1.7m followers on both Instagram and TikTok.
That was her tally on Tuesday 30 July, anyway - the 3.4m combined is more than double what she had in March - and she is likely to earn more followers as more Olympic fans see her sense of humour and determination to celebrate humans of all shapes and sizes.
Having produced similar videos from the Olympic Village at Tokyo 2020, a quick scroll through Maher’s accounts can result in hours getting lost - and laughing.
Maher has clearly been loving her experience at Paris 2024, with dozens of pictures and videos already on her pages.
After bumping into Coco Gauff, Maher risked it all by telling the tennis superstar she was into pickleball, provoking a hilarious response from the Grand Slam champion (below).
Maher also posed for a photo with Team USA superfan Snoop Dogg…
In a mock interview when reaching one million followers on Instagram, she said: “I’d like to thank my brain for constantly being kooky up there. I’d like to thank my mom and dad for raising me to be this way.
“My teammates for putting up with me because I know it’s probably a lot. I’d like to thank my phone, my sisters, and bread and cheese!”
Ilona Maher, from TikToker to Olympic medallist
Maher will not just head home with increased social media fame. She and Team USA pulled off a statement performance in the bronze medal match on Tuesday (30 July), as they beat rugby sevens world series champions Australia with the last play of the game.
“We're just so excited, it hasn't really kicked in yet, so we're kind of chilling right now,” Maher told Olympics.com straight after winning bronze at the Stade de France. “We're so proud of ourselves, of everybody, our team and what we've done for our country, we're really excited.”
The US will host the next summer Olympic Games at LA 2028, where Maher & co want to go even further and win gold.
“Of course,” she replied when asked if that is the aim, “but we've seen it's hard, it doesn't matter if it's your home tournament, it's hard to win in sevens. It's hard to be great, so we're going to keep going in four years and getting better.”
And the all-important question: what content can we expect now that she has a shiny bronze medal coming home with her? “Nothing yet, I’ve got to go and figure that out,” she quipped.
Ilona Maher on body positivity
And most importantly, Maher has been a champion for body positivity.
“As the Olympics officially start today,” she said, “I want you all to take a look at all the different body types on display. All body types matter, all body types are worthy, from the smallest gymnast to the tallest volleyball player, to a rugby player, shot putter, sprinter.
“All body types are beautiful and can do amazing things, so truly see yourself in these athletes and know that you can do it too.”
Maher, who lives in San Diego and is a registered nurse, previously played hockey, basketball and softball at high school in Burlington.
She also competed at Tokyo 2020 held in 2021, with the USA exiting at the quarter-final stage to Team GB on that occasion. Three years on, she is now an Olympic medallist in Paris.