Ilona Maher Revealed Her Path to Self-Love on Set of Her SI Swimsuit Debut

She used to shy away from the camera, but with time and work, Maher has come to love and appreciate her body—and the spotlight.

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

Ilona Maher is not one to shy away from the camera. If that wasn’t apparent in her burgeoning social media presence over the past few years or her current stint on Dancing With the Stars, it was more than evident in her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photo shoot in Bellport, New York. She approached it with the same confidence that she seems to approach all of her current endeavors. Sure, it was an atypical experience for the professional rugby player. She’s far more used to posing for the camera in a jersey than she is in swimwear. But she didn’t shy away from it—quite the opposite, in fact. She embraced it wholeheartedly.

It might surprise you, then, to know that Maher hasn’t always liked posing for a camera. She spent years “feeling shy and not beautiful,” according to her older sister and manager Olivia Maher. And that shyness manifested in a dislike for pictures. When journalist Liz Plank asked her about that tendency to shy away from the spotlight on the set of her photo shoot, the 28-year-old admitted that her size had everything to do with it. “I was a big girl growing up so I didn’t love being in pictures,” she remarked.

Given what we know of her today—that she now takes pride in her muscular form and the success that her athletic body has brought her—this comes as somewhat of a surprise. But it’s a testament to the fact that self-love is a journey, and Maher has certainly put in the work to get to this point. She attributes much of that current confidence to her sport.

Over the years, training, practicing and competing as a professional rugby player has given the Vermont native an appreciation for her naturally muscular form that she never had before. Whereas she might at one point have shied away from sharing photos of herself that she deems unflattering, these days Maher makes a conscious effort to flip the narrative. For instance, when she sees a photo of herself on the rugby pitch with her cellulite on full display, she’s no longer hesitant to post it. Rather than judging, she told the team on set, she says to herself, “I’m doing something pretty fantastic with the cellulite showing, and it’s not taking away from that.”

It hasn’t been a linear journey for Maher. It never is. But with years of work, she has arrived at a place where she feels confident—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

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

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bellport, New York. Swimsuit by Haus of Bond-Eye. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bellport, New York. Swimsuit by Haus of Pink Lemonaid. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated