Over the past two months, Ilona Maher has proved beyond any doubt that beauty and brawn can co-exist without much fuss. After winning a medal at the Paris Olympics, the Team USA rugby star has managed to entertain and entice fans just as much with her groovy skills in the 33rd season of Dancing With The Stars. However, the road from the rugby pitch to the dance floor wasn’t an easy journey for the 28-year-old.

Since the 2024 Games, Maher has shown a more fierce side of her persona. Putting forward an exquisite blend of power and femininity, the Olympian has become the new champion for body positivity. And yet, while she waits to make one last statement at the DWTS finale this Tuesday, her mom can’t forget how trolls didn’t leave any stone unturned to bring down Ilona’s confidence.

Ilona Maher’s mom looks at trolls as a social commentary

In the October 29 episode of the Got It From My Momma Podcast, Ilona Maher’s mom, Mieneke, spilled the beans on how body-shaming has been a constant battle for the rugby star. She claimed that it’s mostly the people who are afraid to come to the public eye who resort to such slandering, and such incidents only highlight the deep-rooted problems our society has as a whole.

“It’s just a sad statement of society in general to see people that will hide behind a screen and write things that you’d never say to someone in person,” Ilona’s mother grunted. While she went on to note how Ilona tries to restrict her from interacting with the rugby star’s trolls on social media, Mieneke confessed that it can be difficult to hold back on her motherly instincts seeing her daughter suffer. “It’s very hard to look at social media and to read comments that are left by people with not very good intentions or very positive things to say,” she stated further.

And yet, despite all the harsh words, Ilona Maher has been a delight to watch as she dished out sizzling performances with DWTS veteran Alan Bersten. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t feel her heart quivering when her latest venture was acknowledged by her fans and the DWTS judges.

The rugby star has had enough of the jeers

Maher had previously noted how the whole experience had been like a dream. Recalling how as a kid she used to stay up late watching stars belt out stunning performances at Dancing With The Stars, the Team USA celebrity mentioned that it felt like a full circle moment, not just for herself but for her mom, too. She also mentioned how Mieneke couldn’t stop herself from crying after watching Maher and Bersten’s sensational salsa routine on the second week of the show. And yet, despite all the glitz and glam, it has always been a task for Maher to keep herself unaffected by the body-shaming she’s had to come across over the years.

But the Olympian seems to have gained much more confidence in her appearance in recent months. “I have cellulite everywhere. It is completely normal, completely natural. It doesn’t take away from your athletic ability or how fast or how fit you are. It’s just something that’s part of your body,” she said on TikTok. During the Games, Maher clapped back at the trolls online when they tried to make fun of her metabolism, making it clear that she won’t stand back and do nothing when the critics come after her physical appearance.

Do you think Ilona Maher will be able to prove her point once again when the season DWTS finale arrives next week? Tell us your predictions below!