Swimsuit

Ilona Maher Shares Perfect Reaction to Returning to SI Swimsuit With Fabulous Beach Video

The Olympian was elated about her 2025 feature in Bermuda, and so are we.

Ananya Panchal

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda.
Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

The 2025 SI Swimsuit issue has officially landed, and naturally, Ilona Maher is “getting her personality back”—that is, if her latest Instagram post is anything to go by.

dark. Buy Now. SIP July Swimsuit Issue. Sports Illustrated’s 2025 Swimsuit Issue

The Olympian posted a new video in celebration of her second feature with the brand, and it’s equal parts hilarious and hot. While most of her social media posts leave fans in awe, this one might just take the cake!

Set to the now-iconic Keeping Up With the Kardashians audio clip saying, “Dude, I’m getting my personality back, like I’m feeling like myself again. I really was not myself,” the 28-year-old lip-synced along to Kylie Jenner’s voice while crawling through the sand in an itty-bitty tiger stripe string bikini from Tropic of C.

The video was playful, confident and quintessentially Maher—just one of the many reasons she’s become such a fan favorite online. Her lighthearted, charismatic energy always shines through on social media, especially when paired with her expert content creation skills.

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

“Once I feel that sun hit my skin, my happiness levels see a serious spike,” she added in the caption.

This video is just one of the many rollouts hitting Instagram and TikTok this week after this year’s cover stars—Lauren Chan, Salma Hayek Pinault, Olivia Dunne and Jordan Chiles—were revealed on May 13. Models across the 2025 SI Swimsuit roster are now sharing behind the scenes footage, travel vlogs and heartfelt reactions regarding their return to (or debut in) the fold. But Maher’s cheeky beach moment cuts through the noise, reminding fans why she’s one of the most magnetic personalities to ever hit the pages of SI Swimsuit.

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

The Vermont native, who now lives in San Diego, Calif., made her debut with the brand back in 2024 as a digital issue cover star, posing for Ben Watts in Bellport, N.Y. SI Swimsuit then invited her back for her first official print feature this year, where she reunited with the photographer in Bermuda. The pair created a jaw-dropping gallery showcasing her powerful presence, radiant energy and incredibly toned, sculpted figure.

Beyond modeling, Maher is best known as a rugby star who helped Team USA earn their first Olympic bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Games. Off the pitch, the Coppertone and Maybelline ambassador is equally fearless—competing on season 33 of Dancing With the Stars, where she finished as the runner-up, and building a massive following online thanks to her candid humor, body-positive advocacy and empowering messaging for young women everywhere.

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

The 2025 SI Swimsuit magazine is available online now and at select newsstands on May 17. Order your copy here.

Meet the models at the exclusive SI Swimsuit Social Club this weekend. Secure your spot here.

Ilona Maher Content. View the Full Gallery. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1733856699/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jeryk8x6fqfxg1jenq.jpg. Maher’s Digital Cover. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1746140504/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jt71b5kv1szsv80tvy.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1746140509/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jt71b5qyh2kc1gsb7j.jpg. More Ilona Maher

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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