Ilona Maher pens heartfelt note as she makes her second appearance for SI Swimsuit

Ilona Maher penned a heartfelt note to Sports Illustrated for welcoming her in the swimsuit edition again. Maher first graced the SI Swimsuit after her victorious campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ilona Maher has been a beacon of inspiration as a body positivity advocate. She has taken women's rugby to new heights by garnering massive turnouts in her games and performing unique skits on social media. Maher also impacted many with her Dancing With the Stars performances, balancing strength and femininity on the national stage.

Maher's also added a Sports Illustrated swimsuit appearance to her resume, shortly after winning the Olympic bronze with the US women's rugby team. With the medal around her neck, she flaunted her body in bikinis and monokinis. Cut to April 2025, she was welcomed by the SI swimsuit team once again. In her Instagram handle, Ilona Maher lip-synced to Role Model's Sally, When the Wine Runs Out in the video montage, featuring her in different bikinis, ranging from animal prints to florals.

She expressed gratitude to SI for the opportunity and shared how her younger self would feel uncomfortable with even the idea of wearing a bikini.

"Thank you to @si_swimsuit for once again letting me showcase my strong, powerful body and for making me feel so beautiful. For young Ilona wearing a bikini was once unthinkable but now I’d actually prefer to be prancing around in one. Stay sexy, folks."

In March this year, Maher and her sisters, Olivia and Adrianna, started the House of Maher podcast, where they talk about women's sports, pop culture, entertainment, and relationships.

Ilona Maher talked about bringing more eyes to rugby, which was always male-centric

Maher at the Harlequins v Bristol Bears - Premiership Women's Rugby - (Source: Getty)

Ilona Maher has been integral in promoting women's rugby, but she desires to see more female players take initiative to be role models in a male-dominated realm. In an interview with The Telegraph, she shed light on the same, saying:

"I love it, but I want some more out there. Sometimes I get tired. I’m like, ‘Man, we got to have more faces of rugby’. I’m honored to be it, but also it’s not enough to just have me as the face of it. People have been calling me the ‘superstar of rugby’. I love that, I think that’s awesome, but we need to have more superstars coming up because we want people to come to the games. To be the face of a sport that is a historically male sport is also really cool, and helping it to grow in the women’s sphere.”

Maher played with the Bristol Bears in the Premiership Women's Rugby for three months. In her debut match, she witnessed a record crowd flock to the stadium to watch her play. She also helped skyrocket the Bears' social media follower count.

Maher will soon return to representing Team USA at the Pacific Four Series.