Ilona Maher came into Dancing with the Stars riding on the high of her bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. She showed confidence before the show, believing that if she could do it in the Olympics, the rugby star could perform well at the show, too. While she had initial stutters in the first week, as she scored 18/30, her points tally quickly started to improve.

Her second dance performance alongside partner Alan Bersten got a much improved 21/30. So, slowly and steadily, she’s getting more accustomed to dancing. This paved the way for a very special performance this week.

Week 4 of Dancing with the Stars was all about paying tribute, and the dancers brought their A-game for “Dedication Night” on Tuesday, Oct. 15. It was a night where couples hit the ballroom to honor the people and moments that shaped their lives. For Ilona Maher, the spotlight was on her U.S. Rugby team, who snagged a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

All her teammates turned out to watch as she honored their epic bronze-medal win at the Paris Olympics. After the dance, Ilona had some powerful words for her team, reflecting on their monumental achievement. “I am so proud of this group of people and what we accomplished together and what it means for rugby in the United States and women’s sport as a whole in the world,” she said. It was a heartwarming moment, especially since Ilona, the most followed rugby player on social media, made sure to shine a well-deserved spotlight on her teammates. After all, they all made history together!

Along with her partner, she danced to a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way song performed by Yseult. They performed a slow and graceful style similar to the mood of the song, earning quite a bit of praise from the judges. One of them, Carrie Ann Inaba, praised her for the way she presented herself on stage with much confidence. She said, “This was the most delicate and refreshing dance I’ve seen. Not only were you delicate and soft, you displayed tremendous courage, and you did not shortchange any move.” Eventually, she received a score of 32/40, a huge comeback from her dip last week, which resulted in her getting emotional.

This might signal great things for her in future episodes as her popularity surges. However, irrespective of this, DWTS organizers do owe her and fellow Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik their gratitude. This is because they seem to bring new viewers to the show.

Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik seem to be the lucky charm for DWTS

Ilona Maher is currently in the ninth position of the DWTS table, as, despite her great week 4 performance, she only barely avoided elimination. This is because of her lousy performance in the third week, which could only earn her 26/40. On the other hand, fellow Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik seems to be cruising at the fourth position. However, both of them have played a part in one of the most significant achievements for the show, which is much more important to the network.

Before the start of this season, DWTS faced various issues because of its platform shift from TV channel ABC to online streamer Disney+. With most of the reality show viewers being TV audiences, they expected a fall in ratings. Although it was later decided to air on both platforms, it came in a newer wrap, risking viewership. However, the worries seem to have been misguided.

Producer Conrad Green has stated that the show’s audience seems to have immensely improved. It felt like they had forged a bond with these year’s stars. He said, “The record number of votes that week suggests to me that a lot of our audience are very passionate about a lot of our stars this year.” In total, 14 million votes were sent on September 24th, breaking all records. Thus, it seems that Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher, who have been very popular among fans, may have contributed to this. Two Olympians taking the show to new heights just like they did with their country is certainly a great tale.