Ilona Maher Celebrates Milestone 30th Birthday With Girls Trip in Hawai’i

After ringing in her big day last week, the three-time SI Swimsuit model is now soaking up some sun on a fun getaway.

Ilona Maher was photographed by James Macari in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Swimsuit by Palondré The Label. | James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Olympian Ilona Maher is celebrating her 30th birthday in style. Following an intimate dinner celebration with friends on her big day, which fell on Wednesday, Aug. 12, the rugby player and three-time SI Swimsuit model jetted off to Hawai’i for a girls trip with her inner circle. And yesterday, Maher blessed her 5.6 million Instagram followers with a stunning bikini pic.

Maher casually sat perched on her knees in the sand as she showed off her two-piece, which consisted of an underboob-baring maroon top and striped bottoms. Her chestnut locks were worn loose and cascaded over her shoulders as she offered up a soft smile for the camera. She captioned her post with a simple “out of office.”

Plenty of Maher’s followers chimed into the comments section to praise her vacation look, with 2026 SI Swimsuit rookie Jocelyn Corona referring to the athlete as an “Angel 😍.”

“30, flirty & thriving 🔥,” someone else noted.

“Literally stunning,” another fan applauded.

“Que bonita 🌸☀️,” one comment read.

“Most beautiful woman ever,” another person else declared.

When Maher made her SI Swimsuit debut, she was photographed for the cover of the September 2024 digital issue. She then made her first appearance in the print issue following her 2025 photo shoot in Bermuda, and was captured for this year’s magazine in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

And while each shoot has featured a different setting and unique styling, they all have one thing in common: Maher knows how to strike a pose. Best of all, the Vermont native’s confidence shines through each time she steps in front of an SI Swimsuit photographer’s lens. At the time of her cover shoot in 2024, she chatted about how her experience as an athlete has helped her to feel confident in her own skin.

“I was always like, you know, called masculine or whatever,” she said while on set in New York. “But I never felt that way ... 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 just a few of Maher’s most fierce moments throughout her SI Swimsuit photo shoots to date—which prove her ability to strike a pose in the sand, just like her latest Instagram post.

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

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by Tropic of C. Sunglasses by Bonnie Clyde. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by Tropic of C. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ilona Maher was photographed by James Macari in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Swimsuit by Heidi Fish Swimwear. | James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Ilona Maher was photographed by James Macari in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Swimsuit by Palondré The Label. | James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Ilona Maher was photographed by James Macari in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus. | James Macari/Sports Illustrated

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