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Ilona Maher hilariously lifted her Dancing With The Stars partner Alan Bersten on her shoulders as the pair tried to do the viral lifting-on-shoulder challenge. The duo finished runners-up during the finale of the 33rd season last month.
Maher spent over two months with Bersten following the 2024 Paris Olympics, competing in DWTS. The two were emotional following the end of their campaign but were overjoyed on their recent dramatic reunion.
The duo hopped in on the viral lifting on-shoulder challenge following their reunion, with Maher saying she struggled to lift the former DWTS champion on her first few attempts. The 28-year-old eventually managed to complete the challenge as Bersten spread his arms in celebration.
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"This actually took me a couple of tries," she captioned the video.
Maher was on a trip to the United Kingdom to sign a three-month contract with Women's Premiership Rugby club Bristol Bears following the end of her DWTS campaign. She underwent a few training sessions with her new team before returning to the States on Monday for the holidays.
The two-time Olympian will travel back to Britain in the New Year and will make her debut in January 2025. Maher, a utility back for the Team USA Rugby Sevens, is expected to play in the center and wing for the Bears.
Alan Bersten reacts as Ilona Maher signs with Bristol Bears for the 2024/25 season
Ilona Maher had been manifesting a move to Premiership Women's Rugby for some time and when the Olympian finally bagged a contract with Bristol Bears, her Dancing With The Stars partner Alan Bersten couldn't contain his happiness.
Reacting to Maher's announcement on Instagram, a 'proud' Bersten wrote:
"Let’s go!!!!!!! I’m so proud of you. And can’t wait to see you kill it."
Maher's move to the English top flight is aimed at securing a place in the USA Rugby 15s for the 2025 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the United Kingdom.
"I want to put myself in the best position to hopefully be selected for the World Cup. I think there are many reasons. I really love what the PWR is doing and I think I love their branding, I think that’s really cool. I have been in the USA sevens for six years now. So I wanted to try something different, go and live somewhere else, meet new people," Ilona Maher told The Guardian.
The 28-year-old last played 15s rugby in 2021 and hopes to gain momentum for World Cup selection.
