- US rugby player Ilona Maher is headed to her second Olympics.
- BI asked the star athlete what essentials she'll be bringing to Paris.
- Maher told BI she's packing sunscreen, lipstick, mascara, and products from her own brand, Medalist.
TikTok's favorite Olympian, Ilona Maher, is ready to return to the Olympic stage with USA Rugby in just a few short weeks.
Maher, 27, went viral sharing her Olympic Village experiences during the 2020 Games in Tokyo and has since built a brand around fashion, body positivity content, and advice for young girls and women in sports.
One of Maher's most prominent messages is that girls and women in physical sports like rugby don't need to sacrifice their femininity or beauty.
"That's a little bit why I wear the lipstick when I play," Maher said at the Team USA Media Summit in April, as reported by NCAA.org. "I can tackle hard and run hard but also, you know, still feel beautiful and still bring that into it. It's not like you have to sacrifice that."
So, when former Division I swimmer and founder and CEO of Odyssey Public Relations Ann Ragan Kearns approached her with an idea for a skincare brand by athletes for athletes, Maher was on board.
Business Insider spoke with Kearns and Maher to learn more about their brand, Medalist, and all of Maher's must-have beauty essentials for Paris.