Ilona Maher's PSA on female safety shows the power of women to help women

When Saoirse Ronan said, “Girls have to think about this all the time,” she wasn't exaggerating, and Olympian Ilona Maher just proved her point.

A “Story Time” video posted on Instagram shows Maher, who is currently competing dancing with the stars, tells the story of her last pedicure. She went in toward the end of the day, and while she was sitting in the chair, a man came in and also asked for a pedicure. The women who worked at the salon repeatedly told Maher that their nails were not dry enough to leave the salon until the male customer left. The female employees then admitted that they had asked them to stay because they felt uncomfortable around the man, and it is implied that Maher, who is tall and muscular, helped them feel safe. (She's also a rugby player, a notoriously physical sport, and if you've ever met a women's rugby team…yeah, that's not a joke. Someone once tried to rob my girlfriend outside the college bar where the rugby team was hanging out, and, boy, was he in for a surprise?)

You were right to be careful. As Maher explains, the man was waiting for her when she left the salon and even asked her to go home with her. She declined and moved on, and fortunately the situation ended there.