Overcoming Body-Shaming Trolls, Ilona Maher Opens Up About Major Decision to Preserve Her Sanity

After two whirlwind months of cha-cha-ing across the ballroom and proving she could samba with the best of them, Ilona Maher is finally free from her Dancing with the Stars grind. For the first time in four months, she’s not obsessing over dance routines or nailing that perfect paso doble. Last week, she bid the stage a gleeful goodbye, snagged the runner-up spot, and walked away with way more than a glittery trophy—she won the hearts of a brand-new audience. The critics? Oh, she showed them. Despite facing body-shaming, Ilona danced through the noise and left a message loud and clear: this rugby Olympian is here to win life, on and off the dance floor.

Now, the 28-year-old finds herself in uncharted territory. No ballroom, no sequins, no weekly dose of public applause. So… does that even faze her? Nah. Champions like Ilona always find a new way to keep the spotlight glowing. And spoiler alert: she’s already plotting her next move, sticking to her signature language of confidence.

Ilona Maher has an idea of people’s expectations of her 

After completing her stint with DWTS, Ilona Maher was quick to jump into her much-known rugby world. She signed up for a three-month contract deal with the Bristol Bears. The stakes are high; to play for the squad, she will have to fly to England and embrace the style. But Ilona is ready to take the call. She agrees to the fact that this opportunity might open the gate of the national team for her next year. Notably, in 2025, the Rugby World Cup will shift to England. So, signing up for the British rugby club is always a win-win situation for her. Apart from that, she is ready to embrace the challenge. How? 

In her conversation with Sarah Rendell of The Guardian, Maher had the option of demonstrating her thoughts on the new environment. However, her words revealed that the rugby sevens star might not raise her eyebrows while playing in front of a new audience and a new setup. Elaborating on that, the Olympic medalist said, “I think I should still connect with a sports psych because I think it will be like, I am coming to this and people are expecting things from me. Saying: ‘Oh, it’s Ilona Maher, she’s coming to play rugby and it’s 15s.’” Yep, she’s fully aware of the narrative swirling around her.

Let’s break it down: first off, Ilona’s been a rockstar in rugby sevens, a fast-paced format with just seven players per side. But in England, she’s diving into rugby 15s—a totally different beast that requires syncing up with 14 other teammates. Cue the critics sniffing around for cracks in her team chemistry. And then there’s the personal baggage. Back home in the U.S., Maher’s faced her share of rough patches on the rugby pitch—and, oh yeah, let’s not forget the body-shaming trolls she tackled during her stint on DWTS. Now, as she steps into this new chapter, she’s already bracing for a potentially bitter reception. Is this a sign of her being tougher than ever? That’s for you to decide—her resilience might just make you a believer.

Bitter experiences teach powerful lessons

Ilona Maher’s social media game hit a new level during the Paris Olympics, where her daily posts turned heads and sent her follower count skyrocketing. But, as always with internet fame, not everyone came to cheer her on. Among the admirers, there were a few trolls, one of whom took aim at her with a misguided jab about her body mass index (BMI). “I bet that person has a 30% BMI,” the comment read—a statement riddled with inaccuracies (BMI isn’t measured in percentages, for starters) and laced with body shaming.

Maher’s response? Pure class. She clapped back in the comments, writing, “I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually a fact,” and even went so far as to share her actual BMI to shut down the nonsense. But that’s just Ilona—turning shade into a teachable moment. And she didn’t stop there.

In January, she took to TikTok again, this time sharing snapshots of her thighs to normalize cellulite. “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. We all have it,” she wrote, boldly embracing what others might try to hide. As she preps for her next chapter, Ilona’s keeping up her signature mix of authenticity and activism. Vulnerable points? She doesn’t just own them—she turns them into power moves.