Ilona Maher Says Adjusting to Viral Fame was 'Hard' — But Working with Sports Psychologist Helped (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Going out and winning a bronze medal in theOlympicsis hard. Doing it with a massive social media following that hinges on your every move is even harder.

Though Maher, who has partnered withSecret Outlast deodorantto stay fresh on the field, says her hilarious online persona isentirely reflective of how she isin real life, there was certainly an adjustment period for the star as she skyrocketed to fame.

“During the games, I work with a sports psychologist every day, and I just keep my mindfulness there, because it was hard,” she tells PEOPLE at the P&G House in Paris. “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?”

Ilona Maher poses with her bronze medal on July 31.Joe Scarnici/Getty

Joe Scarnici/Getty

Maher, 27, says her psychologist Peter has been on hand in Paris to help with whatever she may need. He was there with the athlete in the parking lot downstairs from Stade de France ahead of her bronze medal-winning match against Australia on July 31, and he’s been there from day one in the Olympic Village, where Maher was initially “a little nervous” and overwhelmed as it gradually became flooded with more and more athletes.

Michael Steele/Getty

But mostly, Maher has used her sessions as a way of sharing her feelings, especially regarding the mounting pressure that comes with being an internet darling.

“Sometimes I’d share with him like, ‘Hey Peter, I’m afraid I’m gonna embarrass myself, I’m afraid I’m going to do something wrong, and I’m afraid that people are gonna judge me or see it and not want this,’ ” she says. “I felt like I had a lot of expectation on me and I didn’t want that to control me, like it maybe could have in Tokyo.”

Ilona Maher.Courtesy of Secret

Courtesy of Secret

Maher knows her fans, both old and new, have been keeping an eye on her Olympics performance. That’s why she’s realized the importance of surrounding herself with people who “genuinely care for me,” and who know the real her, the one outside of social media.

“So many people think they know you and they’ll make assumptions about you and say things about you and it’ll sometimes get to your head,” she says. “Having people who actually are present with you in real life who could say, ‘No, that’s just not true,’ is so important and I wish more people had that.”

Once she heads home, Maher says she’s ready to get back into a routine, with herfriends and familyat the ready.

“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,” she says. “So I’m interested to see what happens. But again, I have a really good support system that will be there for me.”

source: people.com