Ilona Maher is no stranger to stepping outside her comfort zone—just ask her Dancing With the Stars fans.
The rugby star was runner-up on season 33 of the reality TV competition series last year, and now she’s nominating someone else she thinks would thrive on the ballroom floor: fellow SI Swimsuit model Ali Truwit.
“I’d love to see Ali Truwit on there,” the 28-year-old said while chatting with the brand during Swim Week. “I think she would do amazing. She’s the best. She would just [nail] it. And she’s such a hard worker [...] she’s an athlete. She could do it.”
And honestly, we couldn’t agree more.
Truwit, a two-time Paralympic silver medalist, made her SI Swimsuit debut this year, just two years after surviving a shark attack that led to the amputation of her lower left leg. The Yale alum has since become an inspiration for young female athletes with her grit and grace.
Her runway walk during SI Swimsuit’s Swim Week show in Miami, Fla., this May marked her 25th birthday and the second anniversary of her surgery—a moment she celebrated by strutting with unshakable confidence in front of a packed crowd.
Maher, who first posed for the brand in Bellport, N.Y., as the Sept. 2024 digital issue cover star, has spent the last year rewriting the narrative around what strength, femininity and visibility in sports can look like.
She returned for the 2025 issue, posing in Bermuda with longtime collaborator Ben Watts, and made her runway debut alongside Truwit in Miami. She’s also been competing with England’s Bristol Bears in her first Rugby 15s season, following her Olympic bronze in rugby sevens at the Paris Games.
Reflecting on her runway debut at the W South Beach last month, Maher said the experience felt more like Dancing With the Stars than stepping onto a rugby pitch—thanks to the routine, music and crowd cheering.
Meanwhile, Truwit posed for the magazine in Boca Raton, Fla., with photographer Ben Horton alongside nine fellow elite female athletes—all of whom represent the next generation of athleticism and empowerment. Her message of body acceptance and resilience has resonated widely, and a run on DWTS feels like a natural next step.
If she does someday join the show, Truwit would be in good company. Fellow SI Swimsuit stars Brooks Nader, Alexis Ren and Suni Lee have all competed in past seasons, and Alix Earle is set to join the cast this upcoming season.
Truwit has everything it takes to shine on the ballroom floor, and thanks to Maher’s glowing nomination, the ball is officially rolling—now it’s ABC’s move.
