Swimsuit

Ilona Maher Gets Her Wellness on in One-Shoulder Red Bikini Sauna Snap

The SI Swimsuit cover girl and Olympic rugby player is preparing for the Premiership Women’s Rugby semi-finals next month.

Ananya Panchal

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bellport, New York.
Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bellport, New York. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ilona Maher needs some R&R after she and her Bristol Bears teammates secured a spot in the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) semi-finals last Friday. The 28-year-old rugby star knows there’s no better way to prep and heal her body ahead of the tournament in mid-March than a restorative sauna session followed by an ice bath plunge.

The SI Swimsuit cover girl, who posed in Bellport, N.Y. for the front of the digital issue last September, hot off the heels of her (and Team USA‘s) first Olympic bronze medal for rugby sevens, visited SiVo Wellness. Maher shared a gorgeous new Instagram photo, where she posed inside a sauna, flexing her sculpted figure and washboard abs.

For her wellness day alongside her sister Livie, the Vermont native, who now lives in San Diego, sported a fiery red two-piece set from Left on Friday. Shop the look below.

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Left on Friday Playa Top, $95 and Streamline Bottom, $85 (leftonfriday.com)

The top features a sleek one-shoulder design with medium coverage and compressive support, making it ideal for both swim and gym wear. The matching bottoms are a low-rise, skimpy-cut fit designed for active beachgoers, offering smoothing coverage and quick-drying comfort. Both pieces are crafted from the brand’s signature “smoothing dream fabric,” which provides soft, sculpting support whether wet or dry. Check out the full collection at leftonfriday.com.

“Actually felt my soul leave my body hopping into the ice baths after this sauna,” Maher captioned the post shared with her 4.9 million followers, referencing the intense contrast therapy that many elite athletes use for muscle recovery. The Dancing With the Stars runner-up was captured through the circular peephole of the sauna door, creating a moody and artistic frame around her powerful stance.

Ilona Maher
Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bellport, New York. Swimsuit by Ralph Lauren. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Since joining the Bears on a three-month contract in January, Maher has quickly made an impact in England’s top women’s rugby league. Her leadership and resilience on the field have solidified her as not only a dominant force in the sport but also a role model redefining what it means to be a female athlete. Through her unapologetic confidence, open vulnerability, sense of humor and body-positive messaging, she continues to inspire young women everywhere to embrace strength and athleticism as well as femininity and self-love.

The PWR semi-finals are set for the start of March, with the finalists heading to StoneX Stadium in North London for the championship match on Sunday, March 16. Until then, Maher is making sure her body is primed and ready for battle—one sauna session at a time.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.

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