Ilona Maher Says Nail Salon Workers Asked Her to Stay for Protection

Oct 29, 2024

The Olympian recalls a recent "insane" incident in which she and a man were the only customers getting pedicures at a salon

Ilona Maher/TikTok; Hannah Peters/Getty

Ilona Maher to the rescue!

The Olympic rugby player is recalling a recent incident at a nail salon in which she and a man were the only customers — and the staff kept her there for their protection, long after her pedicure had dried.

“As I was in there, employees were leaving, all the customers were gone, it was just me and two ladies,” Maher, 28, recalls in a “storytime” video on TikTok. “But as I was getting it done, this guy walks in and asks for a pedicure as well so they sit him down and we’re both getting worked on.”

At first, Maher didn’t think much of the wait because she had eschewed her usual gel pedicure for regular polish, which takes longer to dry. But employees kept telling her to "wait, wait" just a bit longer.

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“I wait there for, no joke, an extra half hour,” the Paris Olympics bronze medalist recalled.

Eventually, the man left and staff at the salon told Maher the real reason for the delay.

“And then they said, ‘Sorry we kept you so long, we just wanted you to be here with us while he was there,’ ” Maher explained. “And I was like, I totally understood then why they did that.”

Later, the 5 foot, 10-inch tall athlete shared that she encountered the man outside who asked if he could go home with her — which she quickly turned down. “It’s insane out there,” Maher said.

She continued, “And I want you to know you can keep me for as long as you want, you can keep me for another hour, I’ll cancel my plans if you want me for safety or you want somebody there just to be a presence. It’s dangerous out there.”

Maher added that she was treating herself to mozzarella sticks and wine “since I did my vigilante stuff tonight.”

“Seriously, stay safe ladies,” she said.