10 Exclusive Behind the Scenes Pics From Ilona Maher’s SI Swimsuit Cover Photo Shoot

The Olympic medalist posed for the September digital issue in New York.

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

The end of 2024 is near, and we’re taking the opportunity to look back at all of the moments that made SI Swimsuit so special during our 60th anniversary year. In case you missed it, take a look at SI Swimsuit Wrapped, which summarizes 31 unforgettable moments that took place this year. Before we set our intentions for 2025, we’re throwing it back to the last 365 days and highlighting several special SI Swimsuit moments (in no particular order), including Ilona Maher’s digital cover girl moment.

This year has been an incredible one for Ilona Maher. In 2024 alone, the 28-year-old Vermont native took home the bronze medal with Team USA’s rugby sevens squad at the Paris Olympics, landed the digital cover of SI Swimsuit in September, and came in second place on Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars.

Plus, earlier this week, the elite athlete announced that she signed with the Bristol Bears, England’s premiership women’s rugby squad. The social media sensation continues to entertain her nearly 8 million followers with her witty Instagram and TikTok content, and we here at SI Swimsuit are some of her biggest fans.

In mid-August, Maher traveled to Bellport, N.Y., with the SI Swimsuit team, where she posed for a gorgeous photo shoot on Fire Island Beach. The styling on set allowed the athlete’s hard-earned muscles to shine, and our fashion editors described working with Maher as a “peak moment.” The resulting images are a stunning gallery of photos that capture the rugby player’s strength and beauty.

While on set, Maher opened up about her relationship with her body. She noted that she credits her sport for helping her fall in love with her muscular figure and appreciates it for what it allows her to do on the pitch.

“I was always like, you know, called masculine or whatever,” she told us. “But I never felt that way. But I don’t think you're going to bully the girl who could probably beat you up in a rage. I love that [rugby] showed me what I can do. It showed me how capable my body is and it’s not just like a tool to be looked at and objectified.”

Below, we’re throwing it back to Maher’s incredible SI Swimsuit Issue digital cover photo shoot with 10 exclusive, never-before-seen photographs from behind the scenes.

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Ilona Maher / SI Staff

Stay tuned as we continue to reminisce on more moments from our SI Swimsuit Wrapped list in the coming weeks!

SI Swimsuit Wrapped. SI Swimsuit Wrapped: 31 Unforgettable Moments of 2024. light. Next