During the 2024 Paris Olympics, USA women\u2019s team rugby player Ilona Maher<\/a> suddenly became a household name.<\/p>\n \u201cI think for some people when they get famous, maybe it changes who they are and who they believe themselves to be,\u201d Maher tells Muscle & Fitness<\/em>. \u201cI just never found that to be me.I think I\u2019m kind of a similar person I was before the Paris Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n But that was merely just the beginning.<\/p>\n The bronze-medal winner posed on the cover of Sports Illustrated<\/em> shortly after the games wrapped. From there, Maher went on to compete on Dancing with the Stars,<\/em> <\/a>launch a successful podcast, and secure major partnerships with brands like Maybelline New York, Adidas and Burn Boot Camp.<\/a><\/p>\n Although it seems like all eyes are on Maher, very few of her fans are watching her while she\u2019s on the field that made her a celebrity.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, it doesn\u2019t frustrate me because we don\u2019t have enough places for them to watch rugby,\u201d Maher says. \u201cSo I would tell you to watch rugby. I could tell you there\u2019s games on this weekend, but it\u2019s not like you tune into one game, then I\u2019ll keep watching that team.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the lack of eyeballs on the game, much like Caitlin Clark in the WNBA, Maher is credited for helping put the game back on the map and even boosting ticket sales.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where it\u2019s hard for me is that there\u2019s really not a lot of opportunities to watch the game,\u201d Maher explains. \u201cAnd when they want to watch me play\u2014a lot of people would love to watch me play, but I play in places like South Africa and then I go to Perth. So if you want to wake up at 4 in the morning to watch me play the first two minutes of a game\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Although Maher admits it\u2019s a hard pill to swallow, she doesn\u2019t let it discourage her and remains hopeful for the future of the sport.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very tough thing in that I want to get more people in. I think more people should be in, but there we need more opportunities or need more things for [fans], games and in terms for them to be able to watch that are on home soil, too.\u201d<\/p>\n The San Diego resident currently has her sights set on the 2028 L.A. summer games so all of her other projects get planned around her training for Team USA.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have meetings throughout the day and rehab and stretching to ramp the body up and whatnot,\u201d explains Maher. \u201cI have to do whatever timing my team says. I\u2019m not an individual athlete that can build my life around my podcast. I have to build the podcast and everything else around my training life, I have to be in the gym at 8 a.m. with all the girls. It\u2019s not worth it to miss a day of training when maybe something else will come up, because I do think I\u2019m a team athlete through and through.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite knowing her obligations to her teammates come first, Maher understands there\u2019s a balance, especially to keep people intrigued in the sport for the upcoming olympic games.<\/p>\n \u201cIf my girls are grinding, I want to be out there grinding with them and not just taking the easy road,\u201d Maher says. \u201cBut it is important for me to also focus on things like the podcasts or speaking, because that\u2019s how I financially live the life I do.\u201d<\/p>\n Maher admits she\u2019s become so popular that she\u2019s had to pass on some things to prioritize her love of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to say no to a lot of opportunities,\u201d Maher says. \u201cI will get invited to this cool event and I just have to pick my battles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Maher admits her newfound fame has created a \u201cpretty hefty schedule,\u201d her physical training remains her top priority. Her training schedule includes two daily on-field sessions along with a gym workout that can include speed and skills work, and up to about 20,000 steps of running. She also adds four days fo weightroom work, focusing explosive movements. The days she\u2019s out of the gym, Maher is recovering and prepping to repeat the same schedule the following week.<\/p>\n The athlete says she thrives on pushing her limits in the weight room, especially with squats and bench presses.<\/p>\n \u201cI like the ones where you really get to like to test yourself and see how much more you can do,\u201d Maher says.<\/p>\n Despite being a professional athlete, Maher admits she still has her own personal wins in the gym.<\/p>\n \u201cI do love dumb bell incline bench press,\u201d explains Maher. \u201cWhere you do a weight and then you\u2019re like, \u2018I think I can do a little bit more weight!\u2019 and you put a little more weight and you did and you\u2019re like, \u2018OK, I can do a little more weight. Those are the moments where I really love being in the gym\u201d.<\/p>\n Off the field, Maher knows girls everywhere are looking up to her for guidance and empowerment, which is why she partnered with Burn Boot Camp<\/a> to spread the message about their 45-minute high-intensity fitness classes.<\/p>\n \u201cI just watched it and the energy and the way that these women came to this class, so excited to be there,\u201d says Maher. They were high-fiving each other and they were getting stronger and it was the sort of community that I\u2019m trying to foster and I think create, and that\u2019s why I decided to work with this brand. Because I have so many girls who message me saying, \u2018I wanna get strong. I wanna be strong like you. I just don\u2019t know where to start and I\u2019m intimidated by the gym.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Ilana](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ilana-Maher-performing-a-single-leg-dumbbell-squat.jpg?quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>Maher Finds Ways to Balance Fame with Commitment to Team USA<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Ilana](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.muscleandfitness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Ilana-Maher-with-Morgan-Kline.jpg?quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>Maher is Hoping Rugby Finds More Opportunities for Fans to Watch\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n