Olympian Ilona Maher Starts Her Day in the Most Relatable Way Possible

Celebrated rugby star Ilona Maher has captivated the general public over the previous three years along with her athletic prowess, vibrant persona, and candid glimpses into her each day life. She’s in all places proper now: on the newest Sports activities Illustrated cowl, on the Emmy Awards, and, in fact, on Dancing With the Stars.

Together with her social media following surpassing 6.2 million on Instagram and TikTok, Maher has performed a pivotal position in bringing consideration to the U.S. Ladies’s Rugby Sevens crew and profitable a bronze medal on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

After a troublesome quarterfinal loss on the 2020 Tokyo Video games, Maher says she approached the 2024 Video games with a refreshed mindset. “The final Olympics, my focus was simply getting there and being known as an Olympian, so I didn’t benefit from the moments earlier than,” Maher advised Properly+Good just lately. “This time, I needed to get pleasure from this season with my teammates, the laughs on the bus, the talks we’ve within the locker room, and simply attending to play the sport. Not making [the Olympics] being my entire factor was actually good for me and helped me put together myself extra mentally game-wise.”

Now, the 28-year-old is tackling a brand new problem: Dancing With The Stars. “I’m to this point out of my consolation zone,” she says as she wraps up her first week of observe. “Rugby is my consolation zone; I really like tackling and operating.” And regardless of preliminary doubts, she felt compelled to affix the present. “I had a number of reservations, however I believed it could be hypocritical of me as a result of I inform all these younger women to attempt rugby and to attempt one thing new and to get on the market. So if I’m simply pondering in my consolation zone, it felt like not doing what I preach.”

We caught up with Maher just lately to learn the way she begins a typical day and what retains her grounded by means of her busy schedule.

She begins every single day on her cellphone—yup.

I don’t have that inspirational morning routine. I get up at about 6 or 6:30 a.m., and I hate to say it, however I examine my cellphone first.

Then, she will get prepared for the day

I usually have about half-hour to get out the door, so my mornings are easy. I put in my contacts, brush my enamel, and take a bathe. I have been utilizing Salt & Stone Bergamot & Hinoki physique wash as of late—it smells scrumptious. Out of the bathe, I take advantage of Secret deodorant  and at all times apply SPF. After I’m preparing, I’m usually sporting both a giant T-shirt—I simply like to be swallowed up in a 3XL shirt—or I’m sporting a Skims gown and Ugg slippers.

After I wish to add a bit one thing further, my go-to favourite lipstick is the Maybelline Tremendous Keep Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick within the shade Self Starter. That is the lipstick I put on to play rugby—it genuinely stays on by means of tackles, by means of my mouth guard, by means of all the pieces. I actually belief it, which is what makes me comfy sufficient to put on lipstick whereas I play as a result of I belief that lipstick a lot.

Subsequent, she picks up espresso on the way in which to coaching

Espresso for me is a bit deal with and escape—I simply find it irresistible. I simply have one espresso within the morning and usually go for a vanilla iced latte. I really like espresso with cream and sugar, and there’s this espresso store by me in San Diego known as Genteel Espresso Co., they usually do that chilly cream on high. It’s simply heavy cream with a bit sugar in it, and I find it irresistible on an iced espresso.

She makes use of her commute to coaching as ‘morning me time’

I at all times like to have my espresso on my trip to the coaching heart. The coaching heart is about half-hour from the place I stay, so for me, that sort of turns into a time the place I simply get to chill out.

I take heed to an audiobook or get myself overvalued by listening to some music whereas I drink my espresso. When it comes to audiobooks, I really like romance books and enjoyable books that I’m not going to be taught something from simply to let my thoughts escape. If I’m attempting to get myself in an excellent temper, I’ll take heed to some pump-up music like Chappell Roan or Sabrina Carpenter.

These half-hour are my very own “me time” earlier than beginning the day and earlier than getting in with my teammates.

As soon as she will get to coaching, she eats breakfast

It’s simply primary—like eggs on toast. I usually have my eggs both fried or as an omelet with some greens in them.

I usually don’t cook dinner for myself—most of my meals are on the coaching heart. It’s laborious to purchase groceries after I know I’m solely going to eat dinner at residence as soon as (and eat dinner three different days on the heart). So I actually simply exit to eat someplace like Cava (I really like bowl locations), or I’ll eat on the heart.

After breakfast, it is time to get to work

After breakfast, it’s straight into what we name “ramp-up,” which is only a method of getting our our bodies prepared for the day by doing workout routines, stretches, and even plyometrics. There’s at all times a time for us to essentially heat up and get our our bodies prepared for the day as a result of rugby’s a really laborious sport and really technical.

That is the place I do rehab, particularly specializing in my ankles, hamstrings, and knees. I really like an excellent hip flexor opener, and resistance band work is admittedly vital to me, too. I’ve a bit routine I do, just a bit static stretch routine for about six minutes, to essentially prime myself and let my physique know it is about to begin working. I additionally at all times hop on the bike for no less than 5 to 10 minutes to get my muscle tissue transferring after being stagnant all night time.

On days I don’t have coaching, I do CorePower sizzling yoga. I want I stretched extra, however I don’t, so I rely the yoga session as my stretching for the week.

Lastly, the true coaching begins

The primary coaching will likely be round 9:30 or 10 a.m. I’m sporting Brooks sneakers from the second I arrive at coaching, usually both my Levitates or my Glycerins. The Levitates are what bought me into Brooks within the first place, after I noticed my bodily therapist sporting them, they usually’re my go-to for all the pieces from operating to lifting. I usually reserve my Glycerins for my sizzling lady walks, however they’re simply as versatile.

She prioritizes psychological well being each day

I don’t use any meditation apps, however I do work intently with a sports activities psychologist. Particularly in the course of the Olympics, even the primary night time I arrived, I noticed my progress begin to occur. It was essential to me to remain grounded and never let something get to me as a result of realizing I had hundreds of thousands of eyes on me, it is regular to fret about dropping the ball, embarrassing myself, doing one thing fallacious, or lacking a deal with.

I met with my sports activities psychologist lots, notably the night time earlier than every sport. And we actually simply sat there, did some breath counting and a few mantras and whatnot. That actually grounded me.

And is aware of that not every single day appears to be like the identical

In the meanwhile, my schedule’s a bit totally different with Dancing With The Stars preparation. Coaching for the present begins at 9 a.m. every day. However even earlier than this, I’ve by no means appreciated having an excessive amount of of a routine or rituals as a result of I get so afraid if in the future I don’t do them, I really feel like I’ve tousled and might’t have an excellent day. I favor to simply see what occurs because it comes.

This interview has been edited for size and readability.