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American union rugby player Ilona Maher recently reflected on her DWTS journey months after participating in the 2024 season of the dance competition. This comes just a week after Maher surprisingly visited one of DWTS Live Tour stops where she also met her DWTS partner, Alan Bersten.
Ever since her DWTS Live Tour stint, Maher has been frequently spotted showcasing her dance skills and has enjoyed her time with other competitors, such as Ezra Sosa and Stephen Nedoroscik. Amidst this, the rugby player recently shared some kind words about her journey at Dancing with the Stars.
In an Instagram post, Maher stated that agreeing to dance on DWTS pushed her a lot beyond her comfort zone and also tested her body a lot through several means. She also mentioned that dancing in front of packed arenas during the DWTS Live Tour stop was much tougher than dancing for the television. She wrote:
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"I’ve always been a fan of the quote “life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. It’s been so fun to continuously find where the end is and cross it by miles. Dancing live on TV was one thing and then agreeing to dance some more in front of sold out crowds was another. At one of the shows, I remember thinking to myself, “why the heck am I doing this?” I felt so nervous and anxious. I can barely count the music and the steps never seem to fall into place."
"Life would be easy if I said no to things that scared me but that’s not really how the best memories are made. I joke about retiring from dance but it taught me a lot. I feel like I’m closing my chapter on Dancing with the Stars," she added.
In her post, Maher also remarked that even though she talks about bidding goodbye to dance, she has made several cheerful memories across her DWTS stint, which she is grateful for, and is currently closing her DWTS chapter.
"That woman puts work"- New Zealand player Ruby Tui shares thoughts on Ilona Maher
New Zealand rugby player Ruby Tui shed light on Ilona Maher's rise to fame in rugby. Tui, 33, is one of the most experienced players in her country with 158 appearances to her name. Notably, she has also won for her country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup.
In an interview, Tui said that the masses think Maher accidentally came into the spotlight in the sport. She further mentioned that Ilona Maher works a lot on her game and on building a brand for herself in the circuit, similar to the entire USA rugby team. Tui said (via CNN Sport):
"People think she was just random or an accident. Nah, that woman puts work into her rugby, that woman puts work into her branding. That whole USA team really does."
During the conversation, Ruby Tui also stated that she is a big admirer of Ilona Maher because of the values that she carries and the work she puts in for the sport. Besides, the New Zealand campaigner also expressed her eagerness for Maher's entry into the Rugby 15's World Cup event scheduled later this year.
