Ilona Maher Says Her Olympic Bronze Medal 'Felt Like a Gold': 'We Call It Rose Gold' (Exclusive)

Ilona Maher looks at her bronze Olympic medal through rose-colored glasses!

The rugby sevens star, 28, sat down with PEOPLE on the opening day of the Delta One Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport and revealed that she and her Team USA teammates cheekily call their bronze medals, which they won in Paris, “the rose.” gold” because of how special they feel.

“We really changed the game in Paris and did something so monumental,” she says. “We just won bronze, but honestly, it felt like gold. And I think even some people, whenever they say, ‘Oh, you’re a gold medalist,’ I say, ‘No, I just got a bronze.’ But people, people because of the reaction to it and how amazing it was, it feels like gold… We actually call it rose gold. That’s our rose gold.”

Ilona Maher at the September 2024 Emmy Awards.

Amy Sussman/Getty

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The feat by Maher and the rest of the U.S. team marked America’s first Olympic medal in the sport, which came after a dramatic, hard-fought game against Australia. In the months since the whirlwind of the Paris Olympics, Maher hasn’t slowed down; currently competing at Dancing with the stars.

The number one athlete says she only had a week off since the end of Paris, which made the post-Olympic Games a little different than they were after the Tokyo Games.

“I talked to some of my teammates about it. I think their fall will be tough, but maybe I was more experienced because I went through the fall in Tokyo,” she says. “This time we won a medal, but it was very difficult for some of my teammates. I think it will be difficult [for me] when the hype dies down a bit, whenever that is. Because right now, whatever I’m doing is longer than just 15 minutes and I think I’m creating something with it. So I’m just trying to really enjoy it but also not get overwhelmed, which is hard.”

Ilona Maher in the Delta One Lounge.

Photo by Amy Graves

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For Maher, travel often provides a kind of sanctuary, as it’s one of the few times he has some time to himself.

“[I have] access to the salon and these places where I can just have a moment to myself,” she says. “I try to sleep as much as I can on planes. I’ll watch a movie or two, but if I can sleep, I sleep.”

The Delta One Lounge is a classy new Old Hollywood-inspired destination for LAX travelers, complete with amenities like a made-to-order sushi bar, sleep pods and massage chairs. The Lounge has also partnered with several local LA businesses and restaurants, including SQUIRL, The Butcher’s Daughter and Milla Chocolates.

The airline is the first sponsor of the 2028 Olympic Games in LA and is also the official airline of Team USA.

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Source: HIS Education