'I'm completely out of my comfort zone' - Ilona Maher opens up on her reaction to joining 'Dancing with the Stars'

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Oct 30, 2024 05:41 GMT

Olympic medalist Ilona Maher has cruised her way to the top six of the dance reality show 'Dancing with the Stars'. The 28-year-old rugby player recently opened up on how she was initially hesitant to join the show.

In an exclusive interview with People, Maher recounted the time when she was offered to join the 33rd season of 'Dancing with the Stars,' only days after she contributed to the historic bronze medal for Team USA in women's rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics 2024.

"I knew how hard it was going to be. I was not fooling myself that this would be an easy time", Maher said. "I was like, 'Okay, I want to do it, but I'm very scared to do it because I'm completely out of my comfort zone.'"

Despite her initial hesitation, Maher went on to push her limits. Partnering with Alan Bersten, the 28-year-old eventually made her way to the top six, defying all expectations. She also talked about her dancing partner Bersten and how she sometimes tested his patience during the rehearsals.

"I keep telling him it's okay to be frustrated with me, seriously. I would be too if I can't figure out what's happening," she said.

Ilona Maher recently impressed everyone with her brilliant tango during the 'Halloween Night' week, for which the duo received a 24 out of 30.

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Ilona Maher on her journey at the Paris Olympics

Ilona Maher [Left] with the bronze medal from the women's rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics 2024 [Image Source: Getty]

Ilona Maher made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, Team USA didn't perform well and were eliminated during the quarterfinals of the women's rugby sevens tournament.

In her interview with People, the 28-year-old rugby player recalled the change in her attitude when she made it to the squad for the Paris Olympics. She said:

"[My prirority was] trying to enjoy all the moments with my teammates, whether I was on the bus ride, in the locker room, at practice, or in the gym. Any little mistake I make [would afffect my game], It made me just not play like I did."

She added:

"It was important for me to know why I play and that I was playing there for my teammates. I wasn't just playing for the now-millions of people that were watching me, but I was playing for my teammates. I was playing for my program, and that gave me something to really ground myself."

Ilona Maher was placed 30th overall in terms of individual scorers during the women's rugby tournament at the Paris Olympics. With 15 points from six matches, the 28-year-old was the fourth-highest contributor for Team USA after Alex Sedrick with 17 points, Kristi Kirshe with 20 points, and Alev Kelter with 30 points.