Dancing With the Stars’ most iconic season has finally reached its final stretch, and the race for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy is on. But can Ilona Maher, the Olympic rugby star, outshine her competitors and claim the crown? Many would bet on it. While this season’s record-breaking viewership and votes have certainly created a buzz, one of the most talked-about topics has been Ilona Maher’s exceptional dance skills.

She has stunned spectators by fearlessly flipping and lifting Alan Bersten during stunts. Beyond this impressive role reversal, Maher has executed challenging routines—often in heels—advocated for body positivity, and charmed her fans with her humorous behind-the-scenes content, solidifying her status as a fan favorite. However, what continues to captivate us the most are her remarkable dance skills. And now, thanks to her mother, we might finally know her secret.

Ilona Maher’s mother’s decision behind her DWTS success?

On the Got It From My Momma podcast, Ilona Maher’s mother, Mieneke Maher presented her insights on the Paris bronze medalist’s dance skills. She jokingly credited a childhood ballet course to be the supposed reason behind how her daughter is probably doing so well on Dancing With The Stars. “I was like the six week ballet course that I put her in when she was four years old must have helped. Thats what did it,” Mieneke laughed.

As it turns out, Ilona Maher took these classes as a toddler, but she was hardly interested. The real reason, as her mother confessed was, “And I think that was mainly because I wanted to, you know, buy pink, you know, pink little tights and a little pink, you know, one piece, and little little, cute little ballet slippers.” But, this doesn’t discount the fact that Ilona Maher’s graph on the show has been outstanding.

Having watched her perform through the season, Mieneke’s praises for her daughter knew no bounds on the podcast. She expressed, “I am just, and I cannot even put in words how brave and incredible, and how gutsy I find it that you [Ilona] as a rugby player, where you have trained your body to be this muscle, to go forward and to run as fast as you can and nobody stands in your way and being very controlled and powerful to having the, yeah guts I guess, to step onto a live national televised program to dance. I find that to be incredible.”

But does Ilona Maher truly have it in her to seize the trophy? Let’s look at how she fares against her other contenders for the finals.

Can Maher and Alan Bersten truly lift the DWTS title?

Remember the semi-final pasodouble and Vienesse waltz that Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten performed? It won them a total of 57, positioning them right in the middle of the pack, heading into the final stage of the competition. However, she has some strong competitors who will try to fend her off the title.

And two of them, Chandler Kinney, the Pretty Little Liars’ star, and Joey Graziadei have been the most technically polished dancers this season. Kinney in particular has previous dance experience, having been dancing since was 9 years old. Thus, to beat them, Maher would have to bring something extraordinary to the stage.

But Ilona Maher has a few ups on her side too. For one, she has a huge social media fan base, for the show and her authenticity on it has turned her into a fan sensation. To add to that, we’ve seen how her skills have improved drastically, with her getting her first 10 scores recently on the 500th episode. Thus, she may be an underdog, but she is far from out of the race and can very much grab the trophy. Who do you think will emerge at the top in the finals? Let us know!