From Elated to Reflective: Ilona Maher's Post-Olympic Plans
By Priscilla Jepchumba
Mental health has been a significant priority for many athletes at this year's Games, such as gymnastics icon Simone Biles, who has openly discussed the positive impact of therapy. This was no different for the iconic star Maher, aged 27.
For Maher, juggling the rising fame that comes with scrutiny, and expectations in the Olympics was not easy. Maher gained over 3 million fans after her entertaining and relatable videos went viral during the 2020 Tokyo Games.
She has however been lucky that her psychologist Peter has been providing support in Paris for any assistance she might require.
“During the games, I work with a sports psychologist every day, and I just keep my mindfulness there, because it was hard,” said Maher in reports.
“All of a sudden, I had millions of new eyes on me wanting to do big things on the field. And I was like, what if I don’t deliver?” asked Maher.
Maher, who has teamed up with Secret Outlast deodorant to stay fresh while playing, claims that her comical online personality truly reflects who she is in real life. However, adjusting to her sudden rise to fame was certainly a challenge for the star.
Maher is aware that her fans, both old and new, have been closely observing her performance at the Olympics. This realization has led her to understand the importance of surrounding herself with people who truly care for her and know her beyond her social media persona.
She acknowledges that many people think they understand her, make assumptions, and say things about her, which can affect her. Having people in real life who truly know her and can correct these misconceptions is invaluable, and she wishes more people had such support.
With the challenging part behind her, Maher now proudly wears her bronze medal and is already looking ahead to the next Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
Despite finding her experience in Paris rewarding, she admits it was also extremely difficult and stressful. She is grateful for the upcoming period of rest and relaxation.
When she returns home, Maher says she is prepared to resume her regular schedule, with her friends and family.
“The hype has been so great, but also I am also interested in what the comedown is gonna be because people talk about post-Olympic blues a lot and getting very sad after the games and the hype fizzles,” said Maher.
“So I'm interested to see what happens. But again, I have a really good support system that will be there for me.”
JUDY ROTICH