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

The athlete spoke to PEOPLE about her experience in Paris at the opening of the new Delta One Lounge at LAX

Ilona Maher sees 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 refer to their bronze medals, which they won in Paris, as “rose gold” because of how special they feel.

“We truly changed the game in Paris and did something so monumental,” she says. “We just got a bronze, but honestly, it felt like a gold. And I think even some people, whenever they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re the gold medalist,’ I’m like, ‘Nope just got a bronze.’ But people, people of the reaction to it and because of how amazing it was, it seems like a gold ... We call it rose gold, actually. It's our rose gold."

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Maher and the rest of Team USA’s feat marked the first-ever Olympic medal for America in the sport, which was won after a dramatic, hard-fought match against Australia. In the months since the whirlwind of the Paris Olympics, Maher has not slowed down; she’s currently competing on Dancing With the Stars.

The start athlete says she’s had just one week off since Paris wrapped, which has made the post-Olympics come down a bit different than it was after the Tokyo Games.

“I’ve been chatting with some of my teammates about it. I think their comedown is going to be tough, but I maybe was more experienced because I went through the Tokyo comedown,” she says. “This one, we won a medal, but for some of my teammates, it’s been very tough. I think it’ll be tough [for me] once the hype does die down a little bit, whenever that is. Because right now, whatever I’m doing is bigger than just 15 minutes and I think I create something with it. So I’m just trying to really enjoy it, but also not get overwhelmed, which is tough.”

Related: Ilona Maher Breaks Down in Tears After ‘Messing Up’ on DWTS: ‘Whole Week’s Been Really Tough’

For Maher, travel often gives her something of a refuge, as it’s one of the few times she gets some “me” time.

“[I have] access to the lounge and to 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’m asleep.”

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

The airline is an inaugural founding partner of the 2028 Olympic Games in L.A., and is also the official airline of Team USA.

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