Ilona Maher has taken the Paris Olympics by storm and the American rugby sevens star has quickly become one of the most popular figures at the Games.
The 27-year-old claimed bronze with her country by beating Australia 14-12 in the third-place match on Tuesday. However, anyone without a TikTok account probably hadn’t heard of her before the Games on the grounds that she might be the most famous Olympian that most haven’t heard of.
However, she is a social star in her own right, who has managed to achieve an alchemy between notoriety on the court and infamy behind the screen that has made her hard not to love.
Off the court, she’s gone from promoting body positivity to posing alongside the likes of Snoop Dogg, Coco Gauff and Jason Kelce, who have all appeared in her social media videos in recent days.
He’s also been taking the Games by storm on the field, appearing in highlight videos as he converted a long try from just behind his own 22-metre line during Team USA’s 36-7 demolition of Japan.
Team USA’s Ilona Maher has been one of the breakout personalities of the 2024 Paris Olympics
Maher’s (right) performances on the pitch have increased his already considerable following on social media.
Maher has posted stories on social profiles featuring superstar fans, including Snoop Dogg (right)
Maher celebrates after the United States claimed the bronze medal on Tuesday night in Paris
Maher charged her way across the field in that match, with a highlight being a stiff-armed save from a Japanese opponent, before racing down the field to convert a try that put the U.S. up 22-7.
However, her star has been in the making for a long time. Since gaining recognition at the Tokyo 2020 Games (held three years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Maher has taken the attention she received as an athlete and turned it into social currency.
The 27-year-old has amassed over 1.8 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok.
This formidable combined reach means she has more followers than established Olympic stars including Katie Ledecky and Noah Lyles. She is also the most followed rugby player in the world, both male and female.
Maher’s irreverent and sarcastic humour has made her a familiar figure in the eyes of her fans, and she has known how to use this attention to raise the agenda of her sport.
“It’s really important to have a profile, and a profile for our sport,” Maher told reporters in a recent interview.
“It’s about building the brand. We are rugby players, we are not getting million-dollar contracts, we are not getting paid the money we should.
‘My friends and I are very interested in making this sport known and noticed. It’s important in the United States, where so much attention is paid to other sports.
Maher (left) pokes fun at his encounter with tennis player Coco Gauff (right) in another Instagram post
“I think it’s about showing the personality that women have. The game is very strong, not only for men, but also for women.”
Sports have been a constant in her life since she was young, having played field hockey, basketball and softball in high school in her native Vermont.
He switched to rugby when he was 17, having taken up the sport following a taster session.
Maher played as an undergraduate at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing, before joining the U.S. national team ahead of the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics.
Life in Tokyo’s Olympic Village became a muse for her social output, and it was this behind-the-scenes content that helped her following grow tenfold.
Even though Team USA finished sixth at those Olympics, Maher knew she always had her eye on what was to come.
“First of all, it was a way to get my message out there, a way to get it across to my team,” Maher explained, reflecting on Tokyo.
The 27-year-old’s irreverent humor has made her a hit with fans on social media.
But her ruthlessness on the women’s sevens pitch in Paris has shown she can do anything.
“Especially there (Tokyo), it worked to encourage people to tune in to our sport, to watch it. Then, personally, it became a question of brand building.
“I’m a female athlete in a sport that’s not very popular, especially in the United States. It’s not a sport to make money… I want to make a career out of sport and I don’t think many women can think that way.”
Fast forward to Paris, and her content still has a very similar tone, but awareness of the influence she has means that the content has pivoted towards championing issues that prioritise women, such as body positivity.
“I want everyone to take a look at the different body types on display,” Maher said in a post during last Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony.
‘All body types matter. All body types are worthy. From the smallest gymnast to the tallest volleyball player, from a rugby player to a shot putter, a sprinter.
“All body types are beautiful and can do amazing things. Imagine yourself in these athletes and you’ll know that you can do it too.”
It is perhaps this kind of attitude that is generating praise in all corners of American sports culture and society as a whole.
Meanwhile, NFL star Derrick Henry, the Heisman Trophy-winning running back for the Baltimore Ravens, delivered this glowing verdict: “He got it: mentality, running hard and strong.
Derrick Henry, who is entering his first year in Baltimore, was inspired by Maher’s career.
Team USA remains in contention for a medal-winning position, with bronze still up for grabs
“I wasn’t trying to go down. I was trying to get to the end zone by any means necessary. I just felt like going out.”
Who knows what’s in store for Maher when her sevens campaign with her US team comes to an end? Brand partnerships, guest appearances on prime-time talk shows or big TV commercials, perhaps.
But she has already left an indelible mark at two Olympic Games, and it’s clear her legacy will be something richer than fame: being the inspiration for the next generation of female sports stars who prove that you can do it all.