Olympic medalist rugby player Ilona Maher recently opened up on being an inspirational figure for women after her Olympic medal winning performance and her stint at ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ The 28-year-old rugby player is all set to join the English rugby club Bristol Bears for the upcoming season.

In an interview with web portal ‘popculture.com’, Maher talked about why she does not feel ‘any different on being a role model’. In her words,

“I have been preaching the same message for years. This was not new for me. I’ve never changed, but I think more people were taking notice. My goal isn’t to be a role model it’s to be authentically myself and I think people really resonate with that.”

Maher also spoke about her transition from the Olympics to ‘Dancing with the Stars’, and why it was the right move for her.

“DWTS, in a way, feels like a rite of passage for many Olympians, and I’m always working to grow the game and get rugby out in the public eye as much as possible,” she added.

Maher teamed up with choreographer Alan Bersten for the 33rd season of ‘Dancing with the Stars’. She was also competing with Olympic double medalist gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, who had teamed up with Rylee Arnold. Despite some initial hiccups, Maher and Bersten proceeded to the grand finale, and eventually finished as runners-up, missing the coveted mirrorball trophy by a whisker.

Ilona Maher on receiving sponsorship of $4 million after the Paris Olympics

Ilona Maher previously opened up on the support she and her team received after the historic bronze medal performance at the Paris Olympics. In a podcast session on BBC’s ‘Rugby Union Weekly,’ Maher talked about the impact of the sponsorship on her team after the quadrennial event held at Paris.

“I think my teammates and I also knew the impact we could have on social media. And a lot of my teammates were posting and we were all doing our thing. But to get that $4 million sponsorship was really impactful because she saw our value, which we already knew we had,” she mentioned.

In another interview, Maher opened up on her active presence on social media, and how she attempted to use it to her advantage. In her words,

“Rugby is my thing, but I have had to create this whole other thing around me,” she added. “Being on the pitch is amazing, but as a female athlete, as a female rugby player, I have to do 10 times as much off the field.”

Maher contributed in the bronze medal winning performance of the women’s team of USA in the rugby sevens’ event of the Paris Olympics. This was the first time in the history of the sport that USA had won an Olympic medal, irrespective of gender.