American rugby player Ilona Maher’s popularity is at its absolute peak. Demand for her has skyrocketed since her performance in helping the women’s team secure a bronze at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
It was their first-ever Olympic medal.
Now, she’s going to transform the grit that made her a rugby legend into grace. Maher has been announced as joining the cast of Dancing With the Stars for its 33rd season.
From the rugby pitch to a glitzy ballroom floor.
Maher will be paired with professional dancer Alan Bersten. And fans are eagerly anticipating how her athletic background will translate into dance moves.
From a beast on the pitch, to a beaut on the dance floor, Ilona Maher becomes the latest Rugby star to tackle the world of reality TV as she joins the Dancing With The Stars cast.
— All Things Rugby (@AllThingsRugbyX) September 5, 2024
Maher was a standout star at the Paris Olympics for the USA Women's 7's team and has been smashing… pic.twitter.com/HxXfnEYZC3
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Ilona Maher Is A Star
Technically, Ilona Maher is going from the rugby pitch to the beach, and now onto the ballroom dance floor.
As we announced on these very pages, Maher was revealed as the new cover model for Sports Illustrated‘s iconic Swimsuit Issue in September.
Editor-in-chief of the magazine, MJ Day, called Maher’s photoshoot “more than just a celebration of her athletic achievements—it’s a powerful statement.”
Maher’s body positivity messaging has propelled her to stardom on social media. She has a tremendous following that began during the Tokyo Olympics when she started live vlogging from the Games.
Maher has over 2.3 million followers on TikTok and over 3.8 million on Instagram.
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Not The Only Olympian On DWTS
Ilona Maher isn’t the only Olympic athlete to compete in the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars.
United States gymnastics star Stephen Nedoroscik – who became known as the “Pommel Horse Guy” after video of his preparation and transformation reminiscent of Clark Kent turning into Superman went viral – will also compete.
Nedoroscik became something of a folk hero helping Team USA win the bronze medal, its first medal since the 2008 games. He later won a bronze in the individual pommel horse event.
Also joining these two Olympic heroes for Dancing With The Stars are Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Tori Spelling and Family Matters actor Reginald VelJohnson.
Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, will be on the show too. She’ll be easy to spot since Sorokin will be the only one wearing an ankle monitor.
She is currently under house arrest stemming from her 2019 conviction for grand larceny.
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