Ilona Maher Says Dancing with “DWTS” Partner Alan Bersten 'Makes Me Feel Very Feminine': 'Good for Girls to See' (Exclusive)

The Olympian and her partner started the season with a Cha Cha routine to Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"

Ilona Maher's opening Dancing with the Stars routine suitably set the stage for her upcoming season.

At the series’ season 33 premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Olympic bronze medalist exclusively told PEOPLE that her partner Alan Bersten is helping her show the public her feminine side.

The Rugby player — who is the first of her kind to compete on the series — explained that Bersten, 30, has “led” her and facilitated an environment that makes her feel “very feminine, womanly” on the ballroom floor.

“I think it's going to be good for girls to see a muscular, strong woman out there, like being feminine dancing with a gorgeous man like Alan here,” she noted.

“So I think it's going to show a lot,” the 28-year-old athlete said. “I think girls will really love to see it.”

She also remarked that although she’s a professional athlete, approaching this competition is "tough” because she doesn’t know what her “body can do in dance,” but she’s confident “it can do something good.”

Related: Olympics Star Ilona Maher Wears Lipstick on Rugby Pitch to Buck Stereotypes That It's a 'Man's Sport' (Exclusive)

Ahead of the premiere, Maher told Bersten that she wanted to come on Dancing with the Stars to be a role model for young girls.

"I'm this very big, muscular woman, but I also feel so beautiful and feminine," she said. "I mean, you know, I grew up not very comfortable, but I want to now make it easier for young girls to love your body."

During the premiere, the pair performed the Cha Cha to Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"

"It was very correct," judge Bruno Tonioli told her, "but I'm telling you, you got more than that. You're great, you're beautiful, let it all hang out!”

The duo scored an 18 out of 30 for their first performance.

Related: Phaedra Parks Isn’t Taking Advice from Any Housewives on DWTS: ‘I Need to Win, They Haven’t Won’ (Exclusive)

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Ahead of her DWTS debut and after Team USA took home bronze, Maher was photographed for the SI Swimsuit cover. Maher told the outlet how meaningful the moment was for her, remarking that she's "always called masculine."

"But I never felt that way," she explained to SI. "But I don't think you're going to bully the girl who could probably beat you up in a rage. I love that [rugby] showed me what I can do. It showed me how capable my body is and it's not just like a tool to be looked at and objectified.”

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Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available to stream the next day on Hulu.

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