Ilona Maher will win a bronze medal at house.
The U.S. women’s rugby sevens sun and social media sensation’s 2024 Olympic journey came to an end on a high note on Tuesday when Team USA defeated Australia 14-12 in the last seconds of the match ( after losing to New Zealand 24-12 in the final round earlier in the day ) to claim their first ever bronze medal.
But Maher’s day in Paris included more than croc-roll tackles and cut blows. She now had a strong online presence as a TikTok star with 1.7 million followers, making her a key member of the elite of Olympic athletes who are leveraging their large followings to both draw attention to their activities and behind-the-scenes responsibilities as well as to form product partnerships.

But these Games have elevated her to a fresh clout.
Maher’s virtual image spans a wide range, from recruiting former Eagles center Jason Kelce to hosting pickleball matches for the women’s sports team. Derrick Henry, the Ravens ‘ defensive coordinator, gave her props for her stiff arm during a new practice. Maher has discovered a way to be infectious humor on social media, even when hard conversations about subjects like body shaming and dangerous beauty standards are being discussed.
Maher, 27, started gaining popularity net three years ago by vlogging during the Tokyo Olympics. The Burlington, Vt., native has since used her growing system to help sports enthusiasts gain more perspective into her special sport, make interesting bits, problem stereotypes and argue for body positivity. She just corrected a monster who had criticized her weight, saying she must have a 30 % BMI ( body mass index ), and that he may be 29.3.
” She’s speaking her truth and being herself”, director of social media strategy at Octagon Elise Crigar said in a phone interview. ” She’s also tackling issues that might be questionable, and she’s able to confidently speak on them in a manner that’s true to her and that speaks with people. … Citizens gravitate towards that”.
Rugby sevens has only been in the Olympics since 2016, and the growing sport still struggles for attention in the U. S. The women’s team’s success in Paris has n’t gone unnoticed, however. USA Rugby announced that it has received a$ 4 million donation from the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, and London City Lionesses over the course of four years following Team USA’s bronze medal showing on Tuesday.
Maher’s acceptance has also helped.
” She’s in a sport that does n’t receive much mainstream media coverage, but she’s developed her brand by using social media and content creation”, Rutgers University assistant professor Mark Beal, an expert on Gen Z Olympics consumption, said in an interview. When feature stories about you appear on the TODAY display, it indicates that your company has advanced further.

Maher is no stranger to NBC, and usually works hand-in-glove with the community. She has taken advantage of Instagram’s updated collab feature, which was n’t accessible during the last Summer Olympics, and has teamed up with NBC’s Olympics account on multiple articles to promote Team USA rugby matches.
” I bet NBC is going to use her for some sort of role with future Olympics”, Beal said. She clearly had a route in front of the cameras, she said. She’s got an interesting character, and I could quickly discover her going into broadcast advertising, whether that’s NBC or somewhere else bringing her on as a critic or corner writer”.
Maher attended Quinnipiac University, where she earned a nursing education, following in the footsteps of her mother, a caregiver. However, she claimed in a Sportico interview last year that she has since changed her career goals in the midst of her social internet success.
” I just do n’t see myself going back to nursing”, she said on the December episode. ” It sucks, because I put a lot of time into it and a lot of work. I really believe that social media has opened a window for me, whether that is through eventually broadcasting or something else. I would love to stay in the rugby space]or ] female sports space, and that’s where I would love to head. I just believe there are many more options open because I did n’t like Tik Tok.
Maher has the ability to capitalize on the rise in women’s sports coverage and the rise in media coverage of women’s sports. She has the ability to redefine feminism.
The most popular active sports person on Instagram, the U.S. children’s sports team, did not manage to win the gold, but the future looks promising. ” I have a feeling she’ll be a very powerful voice in]women’s sports ] and if social media is to thank for that happening, that’s truly amazing”, Crigar added.
( The news of Michele Kang’s donation to USA Rugby has been updated in the eighth paragraph. )
See Maher’s full season of Business Beyond the Game below.