SI Swimsuit Digital Issue Cover Star Ilona Maher Shares Her Secret Talent and Pre-Game Rituals

The Olympic rugby player divulged some details while in New York for her September issue cover photo shoot.

Ananya Panchal | Sep 23, 2024

Ilona Maher’s Secret Talent, Biggest Fear and Superstitions /

SI Swimsuit’s September digital issue cover star Ilona Maher sat down for a confessional-style interview with the team while on location of her photo shoot in Bellport, New York. The Olympic rugby player divulged secrets like her hidden talent, pre-game ritual and superstitions.

Published Sep 23, 2024

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.