Watch Ilona Maher's appearance on NBC's 'Late Night with Seth Meyers'
Ilona Maher flew back from the 2024 Paris Games, her Olympic medal in hand, this past weekend. One of her first stops? Being a featured guest Monday night on a late-night talk show on national television.
On her 28th birthday, the Vermont native appeared on NBC's 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' for a six-plus minute interview to kick off her post-Olympics media tour.
A two-time Olympian, Maher and the United States women's rugby sevens team captured their first Olympic medal, winning bronze with a last-second comeback victory over Australia last month. Maher, a member of the national team since 2018, saw her popularity reach new heights during this Olympiad as one of Paris' breakout stars on social media.
Over the last month, Maher has increased her follower count on Instagram by 2 million to 3.6 million; on TikTok she's gone from 1.1 million to 2.3 million.
On Monday's 'Late Night with Seth Meyers,' Maher delivered just as she has on social media during her interview with show host Seth Meyers. Maher talked about a wide-range of topics. Among them: Celebrating her birthday at the closing ceremonies in Paris, the weight of her bronze medal, seeing Jason Kelce wear a shirt with her multiple pictures of her face on it and eating an oversized croissant in Paris.
"I know what (rugby) has done for me and how it's changed my body confidence. I know it could do it for so many other girls," Maher said to Meyers. "Maybe they'll go to their local club, local college and try it out."
More: Who is Ilona Maher? She's a role model for female athletes and USA Rugby Sevens star
Maher, a champion of body positivity with her many of her online posts, also told Meyers she's proud of the impact she and her teammates made in Paris for young female athletes.
During U.S.'s run, Maher tied for second on the team with three successful tries over the six matches. Maher's stiff arms earlier in the competition went viral on social media, earning high praise from many including Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry.
Contact Alex Abrami at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Ilona Maher: Guest on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers
