Ilona Maher Shares Standout Moments From 2025: From the Rugby Pitch to the Runway

The Olympian had an incredible year, and she’s reminding fans of a few of her favorite moments.

Ilona Maher / Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

If you ask us, every year is Ilona Maher’s year.

After stealing the hearts of countless fans in 2024 with her incredible performance at the 2024 Olympic Games, as well as her runner-up performance on ABC’s hit competition show Dancing With the Stars, the rugby superstar entered 2025 with lots to look forward to. Now, with the year winding down, Maher appears to be reflecting on her booked and busy 2025, taking to Instagram to share a few of her favorite moments from the last 12 months with her 5.4 million loyal followers.

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Saying goodbye to 2025

In the massive 20-photo carousel shared to her grid, the Olympian gave fans a look back at her “spectacular” year. With her favorite moments running the gamut from rugby plays to runway walks, Maher’s last 365 days certainly had an eclectic mix of fun events to choose from, and she was sure to spotlight several special standouts.

The cover photo of the carousel featured the athlete in a daring black gown, sipping on a glass of champagne in front of the setting sun. Immediately following the glamorous snapshot was a close-up of Maher with a bloody nose, further depicting the dichotomy of her hectic year. More favorites included in the drop were a snapshot of Maher posing with her Barbie doll, which was released by Mattel back in October, as well as her touring with the Dancing With the Stars cast after placing second during her season.

Maher also took a moment to remind fans of several career highlights, including when she walked the runway in Miami, when she won an ESPY Award for “Breakthrough Athlete” and when she met activist Malala Yousafzai, with whom she posed for a photo on the rugby pitch.

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Fans & famous friends celebrate Maher

With a year full of so many fabulous memories, it should come as no surprise that many fans and famous friends of the superstar were ready to celebrate all of her accomplishments with her, taking to the comment section on Instagram to cheer her on:

“the year of Ilona 🎉🫶,” the official Instagram account for Adidas wrote.

“come get your baddie chain,” soccer star Midge Purce declared.

“Yes!!! I made the cut! That just means we have to do dance again in 2026, that way i can still be in the photo dump!!” Alan Bersten, Maher’s pro partner on Dancing With the Stars, joked.

“Wishing you the best new year, Ilona ♥️,” Yousafzai added.

Needless to say, we can’t wait to see what Maher gets up to in 2026, as it’s sure to be equally spectacular!

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