Team USA Rugby player Ilona Maher is opening up about accepting a spot on Dancing With The Stars this season. For those who may not know, Maher rose to fame during the Paris 2024 olympics on social media. While rising to fame, many online haters criticized the olympian’s body type, saying she wasn’t “fit enough” as an athlete.
Ilona Maher Admits She Wanted to Decline DWTS Offer
About a week ahead of the Dancing With The Stars Season 33 premiere, Ilona Maher got candid on TikTok. While discussing her choice to join the series, Maher admitted she “wanted to say no” when she first got the call.
She went on to explain that she’s never danced before, aside from a preschool ballet class. Unsurprisingly, her comfort zone is Rugby, since she knows the game so well.
“It felt hypocritical of me to not want to try something new that can show me what my body can do, in a different way” she said. “I’m always telling you guys to try rugby or a sport that will make you see what your body is capable of.”
She continued explaining that she’s doing Dancing With The Stars for two reasons. Her first is to learn how to dance, the second is take back the narrative.
“So many people feel like they have the right to comment on my body, to comment on how they perceive me and on my muscular build and who i am,” she said. “This is me kind of taking back the narrative and showing you all, through dance I guess, who i am and how i want to be portrayed.”
Maher dedicates her DWTS season to all the “female athletes who keep getting stereotyped.” She hopes to remind that female athletes are more than just their sport. The rugby star finished out the statement with “we can do so many great things with our strong, beautiful bodies.”
She Admits She’s “Nervous” Before Premiere
In the same TikTok, Maher admitted that her nerves are high going into week one. She is beginning dance from the ground up, so nerves are completely normal.
“I’m nervous I don’t know if I’ll be able to dance,” she said. “I hope you all are proud of me for taking this step. I hope you all watch, and vote for me and Alan. I’m just going to show you how amazing we all can be.”
Since Maher’s video was posted on TikTok 2 days ago, it is has brought in more than 150 thousand likes and 3,000 comments. It’s clear that Maher is already pretty popular in the competition.
Dancing With The Stars returns to ABC and Disney+ on Tuesday, September 17. The series will air at 8pm ET on ABC and Disney+, streaming will be available day after. Maher is one of the 13 celebrities appearing on this DWTS season.
