Ilona Maher became one of the heroes of the Paris Games when she led the U.S. rugby team to its first men’s and women’s Olympic medals.
The 27-year-old, who often wears bright red lipstick, helped the United States win the bronze medal in a narrow win over Australia on Tuesday.
Following the win, the Vermont native spoke to CNBC about investing in women’s sports, how the win will help rugby grow and how she’s building a brand with millions of social media followers.
Maher said she has been focused on the 2024 Summer Olympics for the past three years, and the team’s existence was uncertain after the games.
“Our coach said to us that if we didn’t win a medal, we might not have a plan for next year, so that stuck in my mind, so we did it,” Maher said.
Fresh off their win over Australia, there’s more good news for the American rugby team. Businesswoman and investor Michele Kang, who also owns a professional soccer team, announced $4 million gift Plays for the United States Women’s Rugby Sevens team to grow the sport. Rugby Sevens is a rugby game in which a team consists of up to seven players.
Maher said the donation, which will be rolled out over the next four years leading up to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, will give the team the boost it needs.
“I’m glad people are taking notice,” Maher said. “We’re trying to make this program better for all the women who came before us, who had to work full-time jobs to do this, and to make it better for all the women who come after us.”
Maher said savvy investors will find that investing in women’s sports is a good business and can make money.
“Personality in women’s sports is different than men’s. I think there’s something special about the way people connect with women.”
Mach’s path to an Olympic medal
Maher didn’t take up the sport until he was 17 years old.
She was recruited by Quinnipiac University, where she played center and helped the team win three national championships. In 2017, she was named the best college football player in the country.
After college, Maher went on to compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and then represented Team USA at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa.
Team GB’s No. 2 Ilona Maher plays against Team GB’s No. 7 Emma Uren during the women’s rugby sevens quarterfinal match between Team GB and Team USA on day three of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Uren) runs with the ball under pressure at the Stade de France in Paris, France on July 29, 2024.
Michael Steele | Getty Images
Maher said she has a nursing degree but has yet to use it. Instead, she said she has been building her brand on social media to complement her athletic career. She currently has over 2 million followers on Instagram and over 2 million followers on TikTok.
“I want this to be something I can do for the rest of my life,” Maher said of her athletic career.
“I knew platforms like TikTok and Instagram could be useful for me to create a brand and differentiate myself…so it was really cool to build that platform,” she added.
The 5-foot-10 Olympic medalist is also known for promoting body positivity.
She’s also not afraid to show her goofy side, whether it’s on a test cardboard bed Transformed soccer stars in the Paris Olympic Village Jason Kelce For rugby fans or fans snoop dogg.
After the Olympics, Maher said she was ready for a much-needed break.
“I threw my phone in the lake and I didn’t look at it for a week,” she said.
“I thought it would be hanging out with the family and being able to relax and refocus in some way – and make some money,” she added.
Revealed: CNBC parent company NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. rights holder for all summer and winter Olympics through 2032.
