In a last-minute upset, the U.S. women's rugby team beat out Australia 14-12 in rugby sevens and claimed the bronze medal.
It took until the very last play to secure their win, when Alex Sedrick stiff-armed her way past Australia's defense and ended up converting her own kick — and she's not a kicker.
"It's such a rollercoaster of emotions," rugby player Stephanie Rovetti said. "The momentum swung both ways, and it's like over in a blink."
In the last minute before the final try, teammate Kristi Kirshe said she just had to "stay in it."
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"One minute for the rest of your life," she added. "That's a life-changing moment for all of us and for rugby in America."
Kirshe said she was proud to show the world what women's rugby could do.
"That took absolutely everything, and I hope you can tell it means absolutely everything to us," she said. "We did it together, every single step of the way."
Rugby player Ilona Maher, who has garnered attention on social media for her comedic videos and messages on body positivity, shared a similar sentiment.
"I'm so proud of my team," Ilona Maher said. "I get to be out there with them every day, and I'm not alone. If I'm at a 5, someone else is at a 10 and they bring me out. So it's really a special team we have."
Maher said she was broken after losing at the Tokyo Olympics. This comeback was for her family, she said, who stood by her every step of the way.
"In rugby, we say we're just passing through the jersey and making the jersey better," Maher added. "And that's always been my goal: to make this jersey better, not just for me but for the other girls who are going to come into the program."
Asked about what her next TikTok video would be, Maher said she didn't know yet — "but it'll be good."
