Welcome to the Party – Ilona Maher: Awkwardness is Her Superpower

Podcast: Welcome to the Party
Hosts: Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, Billie Jean King
Guest: Ilona Maher (U.S. Rugby Olympian, body image advocate, social media star)
Date: January 15, 2026

Episode Overview

This energetic and heartfelt episode centers on Olympian rugby player Ilona Maher and how her honesty, vulnerability, and proudly “awkward” persona have sparked real conversations about body image, confidence, and visibility — both in women’s sports and beyond. Abby, Julie, and Billie Jean create a lively "party" atmosphere, digging into Ilona’s family, career arc, and what it takes to make a positive impact as an athlete and as a person.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Family Foundation & Body Confidence

Timestamps: 11:46–15:59

• Ilona’s upbringing: Details about her supportive family, including her mom (a nurse and Catholic school sex-ed teacher), her dad's encouragement of sports for his daughters, and her two sisters.
• Sports as empowerment: Dad championed sports as a tool for his daughters’ confidence and individuality, refusing to let Ilona "tone it down" for others.
• Naked Mom Theory: Ilona credits her mom for body confidence, explaining the “naked mom” concept: "I had a naked mom. So my mom would just be naked around us...and it helped because you get to see a woman’s body as it is...that really helped us all." (18:40)
• Open talk about sex and body image: Ilona’s mom normalized body talk and sex ed, even fielding a call from Ilona the night she lost her virginity (15:14) — and Ilona was never embarrassed by her mother’s boldness.

"She would come and we’d be talking and she would yell, penis. And then everyone would just, like, quiet down...I always thought she did so well."
– Ilona Maher (14:27)

2. Embracing Awkwardness as a Superpower

Timestamps: 09:09–23:41

• Socially awkward roots: Ilona describes being shy and struggling to make friends growing up, relying on sports for social connection, and only finding her voice late in college and with Team USA (17:15–18:21).
• Owning awkwardness: Ilona reframes awkwardness as connective and empowering, both for herself and her followers: "Awkwardness is my superpower." (02:09)
• Letting it unfold naturally: She wouldn’t change anything about her younger self, emphasizing that moving through those awkward stages paved the way to her success (20:39–21:25).

"I wouldn't tell her anything. I just actually did a post...I promise you, you’re going to get out of it. If life was meant to be just beautiful from the get, it would be kind of boring. You’re gonna struggle. But then you look at me now — I'm the Sports Illustrated model."
– Ilona Maher (21:25)

"Make awkwardness cool. Let us please make awkwardness cool."
– Abby Wambach (02:18)

3. Vulnerability & Social Media

Timestamps: 23:42–26:33

• Challenging the “perfect Olympian” norm: Ilona intentionally shares vulnerable, “real” moments online — revealing mental struggles, insecurities and awkwardness.
• Business savvy: She notes it was both a personal and strategic choice: “Not many people are doing this… I know that awkwardness connects people. I think awkwardness is a superpower.”
• Helping both herself and followers: Sharing honestly not only enables others to relate, but helps her hold onto perspective and confidence.

"Talking about these vulnerabilities heals you. It makes you feel, like, centered and not, like, performative… It’s just — you’re just so badass."
– Abby Wambach (26:19)

4. Body Image, Sport, and the Bigger Picture

Timestamps: 27:15–28:05, 30:34–31:30

• Sports as body liberation: Rugby showed Ilona — and her teammates — their bodies are for strength and capability, not just for being “looked at.”
• Visibility matters: Her Sports Illustrated cover and "Dancing with the Stars" appearance meant girls saw athletic, powerful bodies on major stages, challenging beauty norms.
• Advocacy: Ilona actively posts about resisting early dieting culture and instead supports “awkward phase” growth.
• Pushing for equity: Billie Jean King underscores the need for young athletes to also learn the business side: "I want the kids to make money… players, quite frankly, learn the business they're in." (42:45)

5. Life Beyond the Field – Dancing with the Stars & Rugby Futures

Timestamps: 28:05–32:32, 33:02–42:07

• Dancing with the Stars: Ilona recounts the physical and mental challenge of the show, the boost to her visibility, and her insistence on being costumed "as naked as the other dancers" to model body confidence for young girls.
• Rugby achievement & challenges:
  • First U.S. Olympic medalist (bronze); experienced in both sevens and 15s forms.
  • The league landscape: U.S. rugby remains semi-pro, few women’s clubs; most “pros” must work full-time jobs. A real league needs resources, stars, and structures to grow (35:58–38:21).
• Making rugby stars: Ilona’s unique social presence draws fans ("when I went over to England, we had record numbers because Alona was there," 41:21), but she notes the sport needs more standout personalities if it wants to grow like basketball or soccer.

"They forget about the medal. But I think the impact it showed in England with what I did in the 15s space really solidified me as — ‘Oh she has…’ And I have all these 15s…best 15s men's players in the world, who know the impact I have."
– Ilona Maher (33:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On connection through awkwardness:
  "When you are in a collective environment where these women… the aspiration is to be the strongest, to be the fastest… the rest of the world is telling little girls to be small, to be quiet. And you have just completely, like, shattered that."
  – Abby Wambach (20:06)

• On being a “naked mom”:
  “My mom would just be naked around us, and it helped because you get to see a woman’s body as it is. Instead of hiding from this and thinking it’s bad.”
  – Ilona Maher (18:40)

• On family support:
  “I was pitching once and he always would, a fast pitcher. I had another dad yell at me to slow my pitches down because none of the girls could hit. My dad pulls out the fast pitch rule book and says, ‘No, this is a fast pitch league, we’re playing. She’s going to throw fast.’”
  – Ilona Maher (12:41)

• On business realities for women’s sports:
  “You can’t eat your medals… the reality is you cannot eat your medals…most players, quite frankly, don’t learn the business they’re in.”
  – Billie Jean King (42:16)

Fun & Community

“Never Have I Ever” – Game Segment

Timestamps: 46:15–52:14

A playful game where the group exposes fun facts (Abby’s DUI and sobriety journey, Billie Jean’s accolades and reflections). Notably:

• On being arrested:
  "Yeah, I got arrested…I got a DUI ten years ago. And I’ve been sober ten years from that."
  – Abby Wambach (49:04–49:11)
• On mental health and “bangs”:
  "Because whenever my sisters would come back from, like, not good times, they’d get bangs. Really? Oh no, it’s actually an alert."
  – Ilona Maher (50:14)

Cheers & Party Vibes

Timestamps: 52:17–54:46

The show ends in spirited fashion, as Ilona, Abby, Julie, and Billie Jean trade favorite team cheers, champion community, and reflect on the “fun rules” that make Welcome to the Party a standout for women’s sports.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Body confidence, naked mom, and sex ed: 11:46–18:40
• Awkwardness as superpower: 18:21–23:41
• Vulnerability and social media: 23:41–26:33
• Dancing with the Stars experience: 28:05–32:32
• Rugby’s challenges, business reality: 33:02–42:07
• Never Have I Ever: 46:15–52:14
• Team cheers and wrap-up: 52:17–54:46

Conclusion

This episode exemplifies the “Welcome to the Party” spirit with its honesty, laughter, and depth; Ilona Maher’s journey embodies the power of embracing one’s awkwardness, breaking body-image taboos, and driving women’s sports forward. The stories shared, wisdom offered, and camaraderie make this conversation a must-listen (or read) for anyone passionate about empowering women, sports, and self-acceptance.

Summary by Welcome to the Party Podcast Summarizer