Olympic medalist Ilona Maher was over the moon that Jason Kelce and Kylie Kelce took the time to support her women’s rugby sevens team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Kylie and I follow each other [and] are mutual friends online, and so we’ve chatted before,” Maher, 27, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, August 8, while discussing her partnership with Secret Outlast deodorant. “I was so happy that she came to the game and brought Jason … because we want to get more eyes on [the sport and] to get a football guy like that to watch the game was so cool.”
Jason, 36, and Kylie, 32, supported Team USA at two of their rugby matches, where the retired Philadelphia Eagles center’s wardrobe made headlines.
“The first day, he wore a really tight rugby jersey and then the next day he came, my family got to meet him,” Maher recalled. “I think my mom gave him one of the shirts that they’d made for me and it was so cool.”
As seen in now-viral social media snaps, Jason sported a red, white and blue button-down with multiple images of Maher’s head across the front.
“He wore that to gymnastics and he got to toss the ball around with my dad,” Maher quipped on Thursday. “It was so cool to see. I think he’s just a really down-to-earth dude, and he, I think, liked watching the rugby. I think more people can get into it like Jason.”
The women’s U.S. rugby team ultimately took home the bronze medal in the Olympic tournament.
“It’s been crazy. Been a lot of interviews, all sorts of things,” she gushed to Us, revealing that there’s been no further update about finding love in the Olympic Village, which she jokingly compared to Love Island via TikTok. “Also … everyone else is competing in the villa as well, so it’s very hard to even meet people to go out and hang out with people. We’re all focused on our games and then once we win, maybe can have some fun. The Olympics isn’t done, but I’ve been a busy working girl.”
Dating in the village hasn’t been Maher’s top priority compared to her love of rugby. The sport and her teamwork with her fellow athletes also inspired her new partnership with Secret Outlast deodorant.
“I think what really made me want to partner with Secret is that it was a team-minded thing, as well. I love my teammates [and] I want to see my teammates succeed,” she told Us. “So to have a brand like Secret want to create a rugby campaign that we’ve never seen before in the U.S. and also involve my teammates [and to] showcase rugby in this light was so exciting for not only me, but I think all of USA rugby, my coaches [and] staff.”
Filming the commercial was “so fun” for Maher, who actually uses and trusts the product on a daily basis.
With reporting by Mandie DeCamp
