Ilona Maher Opens Up About the 'Tough Decision' She Made After “Dancing With the Stars” (Exclusive)

Ilona Maher is hanging up her ballroom shoes.

The Olympic rugby player wowed the nation with her moves alongside partner Alan Bersten on Dancing With the Stars season 33 and kept the momentum going live on tour until it wrapped on April 5.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the host of the House of Maher podcast, which also features her sisters Olivia and Adrianna Maher, opened up about the "whirlwind of a time" she had on ABC's hit reality show and the difficult choice she made after continuing her dancing journey on tour.

"It was a tough decision at its best," the Olympian jokes about her decision to step away from the ballroom for good after announcing on Instagram that she officially retired from dance.

Related: Who Is Olympian Ilona Maher? Meet TikTok's Favorite Rugby Star Who's Going Viral at the Paris Games

"After careful consideration, I have decided to retire from dance," she said in the clip uploaded on April 6. “I am a fresh-old dancer. You all know this. Um, never said was a good one, but I am a pro. I think I gotta hang up my dancing shoes."

Dancing With the Stars Live ran approximately three months, kicking off on Jan. 7 and ending on April 5. It came on the heels of a 10-week season, spanning from Sept. 17 to Nov. 26, 2024.

Maher, who made it to the DWTS finale with Bersten, made her decision to step away from dance clear in her tongue-in-cheek message on Instagram.

"You know, if I never have to learn another step again, I think I'll be happy. I think I will," the athlete added. “So I just wanted you all to hear this from me."

Related: Ilona Maher Says Her Olympic Bronze Medal 'Felt Like a Gold': 'We Call It Rose Gold' (Exclusive)

Maher concluded, "You know, I don't know what the tabloids will say tomorrow. But this is my decision. It was hard to make because I was, like, kind of up there with the best in the world, I would say at this point. But this is for me, and I thank you all for supporting that."

Elsewhere in her interview with PEOPLE, Maher reflected on her journey on the reality show and what she learned about herself throughout the competition.

"Well, I've learned that dance is very hard and that it maybe is not what brings me so much joy, but I love watching it," Maher says. "I love going on tour and watching them all dance, how amazing they are — but I think it's just so interesting how we all find joy in different things."

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"I find joy on the rugby pitch, whereas Alan finds it dancing and being graceful in the ballroom," she continues. "I think it taught me that it's okay to maybe not be the best at everything, but it's also good to try out things to see what you like to test your body."

Maher's journey on Dancing With the Stars came a few months after she helped the women's Team USA rugby sevens player to a bronze medal for the first time, which was won after a dramatic, hard-fought match against Australia.

Despite the dance retirement, the acclaimed athlete continues to stay busy off the field with the launch of her new podcast House of Maher alongside her two sisters, Olivia and Adrianna. They drop new episodes each week, covering family-fun topics and beyond.