Olympian Ilona Maher Takes Fans Behind the Scenes During Her SI Swimsuit Cover Photo Shoot in Long Island

The September digital issue star and pro rugby player shared a vlog documenting everything from her fittings to the final photograph.

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

Ilona Maher sure is the gift that keeps on giving. The professional rugby player, who brought home the bronze medal with Team USA at the Paris Olympics earlier this summer, was just named SI Swimsuit’s September digital issue cover model. The star athlete posed for photographer Ben Watts on the beautiful sandy shores of Fire Island Beach in Bellport, New York, and the images are truly spectacular.

Maher and Watts have been rolling out some fun behind the scenes clips and pics on Instagram today, and the Vermont native just dropped a very exciting and special vlog in which she filmed her entire photo shoot day and reflected on her cover girl moment.

The video began with Maher getting a spray tan the night before her photo shoot. The content creator, who uses her platform to inspire female athletes and also show off her comedic side, noted that her fitting earlier in the day went great. Despite being a bit nervous, the body positivity advocate felt super confident in all the options the SI Swimsuit style team picked out.

Maher took viewers throughout the day and offered footage of her gracefully shifting from pose to pose in more than a dozen different phenomenal looks. She even showed off some snippets of her hair and makeup process in the morning, a delicious meal she enjoyed before the photo shoot, and bits and pieces of her interview.

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

“It is finally out. I am so excited. I’ve seen the pictures, and I look amazing. I think I was definitely worried that I wouldn’t look that good, because, you know, posing in swimsuits can be tough. But I felt so good, and I look so good, and I feel so confident in it. So I’m so excited for you all to see it, and just how ... beautiful and sexy I am,” Maher gushed in the final clip of the vlog as she sipped on a cocktail. “Big thank you to the SI team for choosing me, for taking care of me. MJ [Day, SI Swimsuit’s editor in chief] was amazing and just made the experience so great. Ben Watts is an amazing photographer who made me feel so beautiful and feminine and lovely. I hope I get to shoot with them again, because it was spectacular. This was such a fun experience. And I hope you enjoy the pictures and see that strong is sexy and beautiful.”

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

View Maher’s full gallery here, and read her cover story here.