2024-07-30 01:00:03
Her stiff arms and TikTok account have gone viral, and she has convinced Jason Kelce to become a rugby fan.
There might not be another athlete having a better time than Ilona Maher thus far at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Team USA women’s rugby sevens star is going mainstream with the way she runs through opposing players on the field and entertains her fans on social media.
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Though the United States lost to France to close out pool play in the women’s Olympic rugby competition on Monday morning, it nonetheless advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Japan and Brazil in pool play on Sunday. The Americans still have a chance to earn their first medal since rugby became an Olympic sport again ahead of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Here’s what else you should know about Maher as she leads Team USA in women’s rugby:
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Maher grew up in Burlington, Vermont, where she played field hockey, basketball and softball. She began playing rugby as a 17-year-old.
Maher was a three-time All-America selection at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, and graduated with a degree in nursing. In 2016-17, she was awarded with the MA Sorensen Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate women’s rugby player.
That year, Maher led Quinnipiac to its second straight NIRA national championship in the fall and its second straight undefeated 7s season in the spring. The Bobcats were 11-1 in the fall and avenged their only loss of the season vs. Central Washington in the national championship match. Quinnipiac was a perfect 15-0 record in the spring, winning 7s championships in tournaments at Harvard, AIC and Brown.
That season, she finished the fall season with 19 tries and a team-high 15 assists in 11 matches played. She also led Quinnipiac in scoring as a sophomore in 2015, with 27 tries and 17 assists.
Maher has revealed previously on social media posts that she is 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds. She is using her platform at the Olympics to share messages emphasizing body positivity.
MORE:Why US Olympians Ilona Maher, Chase Jackson want to expand definition of beautiful
Maher is 27 years old. She will turn 28 years old on Aug. 12, the day after the closing ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Maher has drawn comparison to NFL running backs Derrick Henry and Marshawn Lynch during the 2024 Paris Olympics. On Sunday, she had memorable stiff arms on long tries against both Japan and Brazil that quickly went viral on the internet. Whatever happens the rest of these Olympics, these highlights will be among the best produced during these Games.
Maher’s social media presence really began to blossom when she first appeared with Team USA women’s rugby at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She currently has more than 3 million combined followers on her TikTok and Instagram accounts, a figure that dwarfs more prominent American Olympians like Katie Ledecky and Noah Lyles. This notoriety has reportedly led to endorsement deals with Secret, L’Oréal and New Era. She’s also starting a skincare line along with former college swimmer Ann Ragan Kearns.
“First, it was a way to get my message out there, a way to get my team out there,” Maher told The Guardian recently. “Especially in Tokyo, it worked to [encourage] people to tune in to our sport, get eyes on our sport. Then, personally, it’s become a brand-building thing. I’m a female athlete in a sport that’s not very big, especially in America. It’s not a money-making sport …. I want to make sports a career and I don’t think many women can think that way.”
During these Olympics, Maher has already shown off her creativity by producing a TikTok video in which she tested out the Olympic Village cardboard beds and a “Love Island”-inspired video joking about finding a romantic partner while in Paris.
REQUIRED READING:Jason Kelce is now a women’s rugby sevens superfan thanks to Ilona Maher
Maher’s Olympics star turn and her increasingly ubiquitous social media exploits came together Sunday when she had a well-documented interaction with former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce.
Kelce attended Team USA’s win over Brazil and came to the locker room following the match. Maher, in speaking with Kelce, used the opportunity to convince him to join the team’s unofficial bandwagon.
“Women’s water polo has Flavor Flav as their superfan,” Maher told Kelce in a video posted to her TikTok account. “You are a girl dad. Do you get anything from being our superfan? No. There’s no reward, no money, no benefits, I don’t think I can get you free stuff.”
Kelce stroked his beard, going along with the fun.
“You’re a great salesman,” he responded. “I am officially a fan of women’s rugby, Olympics.”
Team USA will face Great Britain in the women’s rugby sevens quarterfinals Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET. If the United States wins, it would advance to the semifinals on Tuesday morning.
All women’s rugby sevens matches at the Olympics will be available via streaming on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. The quarterfinals Monday will also be broadcast on E! The semifinals, as well as the gold and bronze medal matches, scheduled for Tuesday will be broadcast on USA and E!
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