Rugby star Ilona Maher revealed that her time on Dancing with the Stars took an unexpected toll on her athletic performance.
While conversing with Parade, the 28-year-old athlete, who signed for Bristol Bears in the Premiership Women's Rugby, said, “I’ve been wanting to join that league for a while.”
She added, “It’s called the PWR, Premiership Women’s Rugby, in England. In October 2023, I was trying to get on the team, but I wasn’t eligible because of some playing rules.”
Maher went on to say, “So, I stopped planning for it, which actually worked out because then that meant instead of going to play there, I got to go do Dancing with the Stars. So, it all seemed to work out.”
Reflecting on joining DWTS, she said, “I feel weaker, which isn’t something that I would like to be.”
Maher continued, “I always love to be stronger. I’ve always found my body is for a purpose, not for aesthetics. I go for function over form. So, it was tough for me to be in this environment where I was using my body a different way, where I wasn’t strength training or running.”
“It was tough for me because I’m so proud of what my body does on the rugby pitch,” Maher explained, adding, “I don’t think I could have done what I did at the Olympics in the same way because of the dancing. I’m hoping to get back to the physical shape of rugby and to pack on the muscle and to feel like I’m ready to take a hit.”
Ilona Maher ‘Dancing With The Stars’
Illona Maher and her partner Alan Bersten secured second place in the finale on Tuesday, while Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson claimed the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy in season 33 of Dancing with the Stars.
Ilona Maher medals
Marking her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, Ilona Maher won two medals at the Pan American.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, she garnered a bronze medal for the United States in rugby sevens.
