Ilona Maher pens an emotional note as she shares frame with her father and rugby teammates on Dancing With the Stars

Ilona Maher penned a heartfelt note after her father, Michael Maher, and her Rugby Sevens teammates joined her on the DWTS 'Disney Night' after her team performance.

Maher, who traveled as a Team USA rugby sevens member to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, competed in her second Olympic edition in Paris and won the coveted bronze against Australia. Advocating for the femininity of women athletes in masculine sports, the rugby player won hearts with her empowering social media posts and for applying make-up before her games.

The 28-year-old, who actively promotes body positivity, graced the Dancing With the Stars roster following the Games. She and her dancing partner Alan Bersten turned heads with their performances, especially on Dedication Night, dedicating her rumba performance to her rugby sevens teammates, leaving them emotional.

Maher took the DWTS stage on 'Disney Week' as Luisa Madrigal, a character popular for her immense physical strength, in the Disney feature film Encanto. She also participated in Team dance with Joey Graziadei, Chandler Kinney, and Jenn Tran, dancing to "I2I" from "The Goofy Movie".

In her recent Instagram post, she posed with her father, Michael Maher, and her teammates after Team Goof's performance. The 28-year-old penned an emotional note for her loved ones, sharing how they will show up to cheer her up in every situation. The caption of her post read:

"Little different than watching rugby games but I could do anything and these beautiful people would still cheer for me."

Ilona Maher's parents, Michael and Mieneke Maher, were present to cheer their daughter at the Paris Olympics.

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Ilona Maher wore high heels for the first time for team performance at DWTS

Ilona Maher arrives at DWTS in Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles; (Source: Getty)

Donning a black crop top and leather skirt, Maher paired her look with knee-high heels. Amid her performance, she lifted Bersten and castmates, Chandler Kinney and Jenna Johnson, that too with the heels on. In an exclusive interview with US Weekly, she talked about how comfortable she got with the lifts.

“I'm now getting much more comfortable with the lifts. [At] first [they] were like, ‘She's doing lifts again. We shouldn't do the heels,’ but they couldn't do a shoe without [a heel]," noted Maher.

Alan Bersten revealed that he wanted Maher to wear heels for their Salsa performance to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing, but played it safe with sneakers.

Ilona Maher was recently named as one of the SportsPro Top 10 marketable athletes, alongside Simone Biles, Cristiano Ronaldo, and LeBron James.