Overview

• Ilona Maher was crowned Best Breakthrough Athlete at the 2025 ESPY Awards on July 16 in Los Angeles
• On the red carpet she embraced the ’barely-there’ footwear trend with black single-toe-strap sandals paired with a cutout halter gown featuring draped panels and side openings
• In her acceptance speech she spoke candidly about body image struggles in sports, reframing strength as a source of beauty
• She invited viewers to tune into the Women’s Rugby World Cup, set to begin next month, to boost visibility for her sport
• Since winning Olympic bronze in Paris, Maher has leveraged Adidas sponsorships, Sports Illustrated modeling and a viral TikTok presence to advance body-positivity and promote women’s rugby