Ilona Maher’s Sister’s Reaction to Her Gorgeous SI Swimsuit Shoot Is Both Hilarious and Real

Olivia Maher shared a behind the scenes look at her younger sister’s shoot, and she included the funniest sentiment to match.

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

A sneak peek at Ilona Maher’s newest photo shoot with SI Swimsuit dropped this week, and the internet is obsessed (and so are we)!

SI Swimsuit shared the first image of the shoot to Instagram this past Monday, showcasing a powerful moment from Maher’s time in Bermuda with an equally powerful quote reading, “For @ilonamaher, strength and beauty were never meant to compete… ‘I hope people see my photos and understand that strength can be so beautiful and so feminine.’”

Though it’s safe to say one of our favorite reactions came from Maher’s older sister, Olivia. The ‘Girl Dinner’ creator recently posted a candid video from the set of her sister’s shoot with the funniest sentiment to match.

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A post shared by Olivia Maher (@liviemaher)

“Body so tea, the British are coming!” Olivia (Livie) exclaimed in the video while the camera panned to her sister striking a number of poses. As the clip continued, Livie provided more behind the scenes angles of the snapshot that had the internet screaming.

“Her second year with [SI Swimsuit] ❤️‍🔥”, the 30-year-old captioned the post with pride.

And several commenters praised not only the two-time SI Swimsuit model, who looked as radiant as ever in a TRUSSO SWIM bikini, but also the eldest sister for her unwavering support:

“I just love how supportive and proud you are of her all the time,” one fan shared.

“The older sister tears are so real,” another commenter chimed in.

“Love this sister dynamic so much 👏,” one user continued.

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A post shared by Ilona Maher (@ilonamaher)

Maher made her debut with the magazine in September of 2024, when the Olympic bronze medalist debuted the second-ever Digital Cover feature with the brand in Bellport, N.Y..

Seven months later, the 28-year-old rugby sensation reflected on her growth, stating, “Thank you to [SI Swimsuit] for once again letting me showcase my strong, powerful body and for making me feel so beautiful. For young Ilona, wearing a bikini was once unthinkable, but now I’d actually prefer to be prancing around in one. Stay sexy, folks.”

In the video shared to Instagram, Maher also debuted some more clips of her looks in Bermuda, including a teeny leopard print bikini and a stunning black strapless one-piece. She also added some playful accessories to a few of the ‘fits, like retro oversized sunglasses and a turquoise hat.

While fans will have to wait until the magazine hits stands to view the full gallery of Maher’s 2025 shoot, more models have shared their behind the scenes looks from Bermuda already, including Kate Austin and Jena Sims.

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