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Shortly after the Bristol Bears' final game of the 2024/25 season against the Harlequins, ahead of the semi-finals, Ilona Maher shared her thoughts on taking an ice bath after a sauna. Maher played 73 minutes and contributed to the Valentine's Day victory over the Harlequins.
Similar to the Paris Olympic crowd, spectators at the Bears' PWR games are captivated by Ilona Maher, who has a significant social media following. The 28-year-old has gained immense popularity for her body positivity advocacy and humorous skits, addressing day-to-day topics. Currently playing in the PWR on a three-month contract, Maher aims to secure a place on the 2025 Rugby World Cup roster.
In the recent game between the Bears and the Harlequins, the Olympian contributed to her team's win. However, their advancement to the semi-finals remained contingent on the outcome of the Exeter Chiefs' final game. Shortly after the Valentine's Day rugby outing, Maher donned an orangish-red bikini for a sauna session.
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Following the sauna session, she took an ice bath and shared her experience in an Instagram post.
"Actually felt my soul leave my body hopping into the ice baths after this sauna," she captioned.
Earlier, Maher shot a video of the team engaging in a singing session on the bus, seemingly after their recent PWR match. The girls had a rose each which they used as mics. Maher's hilarious in-video caption read:
"Them: what do you listen to to get hype before a game? My teammates: umm.."
Her post caption read:
"What do you know about the riff-off from Pitch Perfect?"
Ilona Maher was a member of the US women's rugby team that trounced the Australian squad to clinch bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The podium was the first Olympic achievement in US rugby history.
Ilona Maher offered tips for her fellow female athletes to grow on social media
Ilona Maher, who has been vocal about body image issues since her time at the Tokyo Olympics, embraces feminity by playing with makeup on and encourages her teammates to do the same. Her relatable social media content regarding breaking conventions and taboos around female athletes has earned her a massive following. In a recent Instagram post, she shared some tips for her fellow female athletes so that they can also grow on social media.
"So many female athletes ask me, 'Oh I want to grow on social media like you; what's your tips and tricks? Can you please teach me?' And I want all of them to grow. I want all of them to grow. And my advice to you all is to just post it. Whatever it is just post it. I found success just putting something out there. It could be a video that I don’t think’s going to do well. I'm going to put it out there. Because, surprisingly, it will.”
Ilona Maher met Nobel Peace laureate and child education activist, Malala Yousafzai, at the recently concluded PWR match. Yousafzai was on a UK trip with her husband, Asser Malik.
