The 2024 Paris Olympics are in full swing and look set to be one of the most exciting Olympics yet. Sports fans and non-sports fans alike are coming together for two weeks of exciting games, matches, and races. And in addition to the sports themselves, there will be a number of specific athletes that viewers at home will have their eyes on. In fact, American women’s rugby star Ilona Maher has been turning heads for the past few years. In particular, much of that attention has come from the athlete’s top-notch online presence, which has earned her millions of fans. Here are all the facts about Ilona Maher and everything you need to know about how to watch her and her team at this year’s Olympics.

What is Ilona Maher’s background?

Maher was born on August 12, 1996, and hails from Burlington, Vermont. She was the middle child of two sisters and always had a love for sports. After attending Burlington High School, Maher attended Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, where she graduated with a degree in nursing. After graduating from Quinnipiac, she earned a master’s degree in business administration from DeVry University. In addition to playing rugby, Maher is the co-founder of Medalist, a skincare brand she works on and promotes when she’s not on the field.

When did Ilona Maher start playing rugby?

Maher played many sports as a child, but did not begin playing rugby until she was seventeen. She first joined the South Burlington School Rugby Football Club, encouraged by her father, who was also a varsity rugby player. She began playing rugby in college at Norwich College. She dropped out after a year when she was recruited by Quinnipiac to play for their team. With her new school, Maher helped her team win three National Intercollegiate Rugby Union championships. She received the MA Sorensen Award, given annually to the best female collegiate rugby player, in 2017.

How was Ilona Maher’s professional career?

While in college, she played rugby sevens for Scion Rugby Academy. This led to her being drafted to the United States national rugby sevens team. She made her professional debut at the Women’s SVNS tournament in Paris. She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020, where she played for Team USA’s rugby sevens team, advancing to the quarterfinals. She has since represented her country at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town, where her team finished fourth. Now, she’s back in the Olympics for rugby sevens, and everyone is taking notice.

What makes Ilona Maher stand out?

While Maher undoubtedly has incredible rugby skills, it’s his presence off the pitch that people notice. Over the past few years, the athlete has built up a sizable social media following, with 1.5 million followers on Instagram and 1.6 million on TikTok (@ilonamaher) on both platforms. While he’s been working on that following for years, he’s seen a huge growth since the start of this year’s Olympics. His content is a combination of body positivity, encouraging women to love themselves, and hilarious comedy videos. In addition to the sport of rugby, his comedy videos have also included other aspects of his life, like relatable friendship moments and dating tips. Since arriving in the Olympic village, Maher has been making videos with other athletes, like tennis star Coco Gauff and footballer Jason Kelce, who isn’t competing but still gets to check out the action. Maher uses his incredible social media skills to give people an inside look at the Olympics and help fans understand what it’s like to be a rugby player.