'DWTS' partner Alan Bersten 'makes me feel feminine' (exclusive)

Opening with Ilona Maher Dancing with the stars Routine set the stage for their upcoming season.

During the premiere of the series' 33rd season on Tuesday, September 17, the Olympic bronze medalist told PEOPLE exclusively that her partner Alan Bersten helps her show her feminine side to the public.

The rugby player – the first of her kind to take part in the series – explained that Bersten, 30, “guided” her and created an environment that made her feel “very feminine and womanly” on the ballroom floor.

“I think it will be good for the girls to see a muscular, strong woman out there dancing femininely with a stunning man like Alan,” she noted.

“I think there will be a lot to see,” said the 28-year-old athlete. “I think the girls will really love to watch it.”

She also noted that as a professional athlete, it was “hard” for her to take part in this competition because she did not know what her “body can do when dancing,” but she was confident “that it can do something good.”

Before the premiere, Maher told Bersten that she wanted to come Dancing with the stars to be a role model for young girls.

“I'm a very tall, muscular woman, but I also feel so beautiful and feminine,” she said. “I mean, you know, I didn't grow up in very comfortable circumstances, but I want to make it easier for young girls now to love their bodies.”

During the premiere, the couple sang the cha-cha to Shania Twain's “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”

“That was perfectly fine,” said her judge Bruno Tonioli, “but I'm telling you, you're capable of more than that. You're great, you're beautiful, let it all out!”

For their first performance, the duo achieved 18 out of 30 points.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword puzzle is here! How fast can you solve it? Play now!

Before her DWTS debut and after Team USA took home bronze, Maher was selected for the SI Swimsuit Cover. Maher told the outlet how significant the moment was for her, noting that she's “always been labeled male.”

“But I never felt that way,” she explained S.I. “But I don't think you're going to bully the girl who might beat you up in a fit of rage. I love that [rugby] showed me what I can do. It showed me how capable my body is and that it is not just a tool to be looked at and viewed as an object.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

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.