"Getting my personality back"- Ilona Maher shares how she feels shooting for SI issue in 'tiniest bikini'

Ilona Maher shared her reaction to posing for a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot in what she referred to as 'the tiniest bikini'. Maher made her debut for SI Swimsuit earlier in 2024, where she featured as the cover star for the September digital issue. She will be on the 2025 issue of the magazine, which has cover models such as Olivia Dunne, Jordan Chiles, and Salma Hayek.

Ilona Maher is one of the most prominent rugby players in the world. She had managed to win a bronze medal for Team USA at the Paris Olympics in 2024. She made her international debut for the United States in 2018, and also represented the nation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Beyond the sport, Maher has a large social media following and often advocates for body positivity.

Maher took to Instagram to share how she felt posing for SI Swimsuit, and discussed in the post about how happy she felt doing so. In the video, she said:

"Dude I'm getting my personality back though. Like I'm feeling like myself again. I really was not myself."

Ilona Maher also went viral at the Paris Olympics in 2024, often sharing hilarious videos and behind-the-scenes footage from the Olympic Village.

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Ilona Maher makes her feelings known on becoming 'America's sweetheart'

Harlequins v Bristol Bears - Premiership Women's Rugby - Source: Getty

American rugby player Ilona Maher shared her feelings on becoming 'America's Sweetheart'. Maher is one of the most popular rugby players in the world, and has over 4 million followers on Instagram.

In an interview with CNN, Maher spoke about being one of the faces of rugby, as well as becoming one of America's favourite people. She said:

“I love when people call me that because I feel like I’m maybe not the image you would have of a sweetheart in some sense of the word. I'm honored. This was kind of the trajectory I wanted it to take. I knew that in my sport, I wouldn’t just get to play my sport and be happy with it."

"I knew that I had to do more to have a comfortable life for myself, to spread my game, to spread rugby in general. So for years now, I’ve been leading up to this point, hoping to do what I’ve done. And I’m so happy that this worked out like it did.”

Ilona Maher also discussed body positivity and spoke about her body in the rest of the interview. Maher was recently on the Dancing With The Stars Live Tour as one of the celebrity's guests.