BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Over a hundred community members from the city of Burlington gathered in Battery Park to celebrate the return of 2024 Olympic Medalist Ilona Maher.
The event was put together by Burlington High School. Several staff members, and the mayor, spoke of Maher’s accomplishments.
People had cake and took pictures with the star.
Maher admits she did not expect so many people to come out and support her.
“I feel like it’s awesome that she like remembers where she’s from and she really thinks of Burlington as her family. She shares her experience even coming from Paris. Honestly she is really empowering me and saying how you should never tone it down,” Gianna Mariani of Burlington said.
“It’s like nice to see messages online, but to see the people come out to want to see me in-person, then see how it has affected them, it doesn’t matter the age difference, it’s like teenagers, young kids, it’s moms, Grandmothers, it’s anybody. So that is really powerful to see how it has really affected people in such a way,” Maher said.
Maher says she is definitely going to enjoy some much needed time off from playing the game.