Ilona Maher, a renowned rugby player from the United States, claims that the team's Olympic bronze medal may have been the key to their success.

• Winning the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Paris has reinvigorated the U.S. women's rugby national team program, as Ilona Maher, a star player, reflected on the achievement.
• The 27-year-old has also built an active fan base on social media.
• Michele Kang, a businesswoman, investor, and owner of professional soccer teams, donated $4 million to the U.S. women's rugby sevens team following their medal win.

Ilona Maher, a member of the U.S. rugby team, led her team to their first-ever Olympic medal for men or women, earning her a place among the Paris Olympics' heroes.

On Tuesday, the 27-year-old, often seen wearing bright red lipstick, assisted Team USA in winning the bronze medal against Australia in a close match.

After her victory, the Vermont native discussed investments in women's sports, the impact of the win on rugby growth, and her brand with millions of social media followers on CNBC.

For the past three years, Maher has been concentrating on the 2024 Summer Olympics, but the team's future after the games was uncertain.

"Our coach threatened us with losing our program if we didn't win a medal, and those words stayed with me, so we gave it our all," Maher said.

The USA women's rugby sevens team received a $4 million gift from businesswoman and investor Michele Kang, who also owns professional soccer teams, in an effort to expand the sport.

The donation, which will be spread out over the next four years, will provide the team with the necessary momentum before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

"Maher expressed his happiness that people are paying attention to the program's improvement efforts, which aim to enhance the experience of women who came before them and had to work full-time to improve it for future generations."

Smart investors will realize the potential profit in investing in women's sports, Maher stated.

"The personalities in women's sports are unique and different from those in men's sports. I believe that the way people connect with women is special."

Maher's path to Olympic medalist

She didn't start playing the sport until she was 17, but as a former field hockey, basketball, and soccer player, she quickly caught on and never looked back.

In 2017, she was named the nation's top college rugby player and helped Quinnipiac University win three national championships while playing center.

Maher has competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and represented the U.S. at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa since college.

Maher has a nursing degree but hasn't used it yet. Instead, she has built her brand on social media to complement her athletic career. She has over two million followers on Instagram and TikTok.

Maher stated that she wanted her athletic career to be her lifelong capability.

She knew that platforms like TikTok and Instagram could help her create a brand and put herself out there, and it has been cool to build that up.

An Olympic medalist who stands at 5'10" has gained recognition for promoting body positivity. She has endorsed brands such as Secret deodorant and encouraged her followers to embrace their unique body types.

She is not afraid to show her silly side, whether it's testing out the cardboard beds in the Paris Olympic village, converting football star Jason Kelce to a rugby fan or fangirling with Snoop Dogg.

Following the Olympics, Maher said she is ready for a much-needed break.

She announced that she would be discarding her phone into the lake and abstaining from checking it for a week.

She mentioned that she believed it would involve spending time with family, unwinding, and finding a way to earn money.

NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC, owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics holds the U.S. broadcast rights to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032.