Ilona Maher Is SI Swimsuit’s 2025 Rookie of the Year

Ilona Maher is already an Olympic medalist, a Dancing With the Stars Season 33 runner-up and a fan-favorite content creator—and now, she’s officially adding SI Swimsuit Rookie of the Year to that impressive list of accolades!

This year’s issue marks the star’s third shoot overall with the brand, and her second in the print issue. She first debuted with SI Swimsuit in 2024, rocking the cover of the digital issue with a stunning shoot in Bellport, N.Y., photographed by Ben Watts. She returned in 2025 for a sophomore feature, reuniting with Watts to bask in the sunlight on the beaches of Bermuda.

Her second feature marked her first appearance in the print issue. Little did she know at the time that it would be the feature to land her the ultimate SI Swimsuit honor!

Ilona Maher | Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit

This year, Maher returned for round three with the brand, taking to the shores of Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. She posed in an array of daring designer swimwear looks from beloved labels like Heidi Fish Swimwear, Andi Bagus, bond-eye Australia and more. The latest issue of SI Swimsuit was released this week on Tuesday, May 12, and the magazine took the celebration up a notch with a star-studded launch party at the Hard Rock Hotel New York on Thursday, May 14.

While walking the SI Swimsuit launch celebration red carpet, Maher was surprised with the Rookie of the Year honor by the magazine’s editor in chief, MJ Day, who joked that she had “Something to go next to your Olympic medals” before handing Maher her new piece of hardware. “What?! This is amazing!” rhe Olympian exclaimed as she accepted the award from Day.

Ilona Maher is wearing a tiger striped swimsuit in Bermuda. — Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by ALT Swim. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Maher has long been candid about what appearing in SI Swimsuit means to her. As she was growing up, she came to define beauty on her own terms, embracing her “Beauty. Beast. Brains.” slogan in all aspects of her life.

“Beauty is a lot about how you feel and how you define it. I think everyone has different beauty standards. I feel beautiful when I look strong and powerful when I’m wearing makeup and playing on the field. But I think beauty changes constantly, too,“ Maher told SI Swimsuit. “I think my idea of beauty has changed in that it used to be more what society said, like skinny, smaller bodies—which are beautiful bodies—but other bodies can be beautiful as well. Like finding my muscles attractive, my body, my bigger frame beautiful.”

Congratulations to Maher, our reigning Rookie of the Year!

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