Aia Polansky is not someone you want to mess with.
The 6'1" tall Israeli military veteran and single mother of two became a viral star after a video showed her chasing down and confronting an alleged flasher while jogging along Memorial Drive in Cambridge on the morning of July 18.
The man flashed her once and she thought it was an accident at first, but took action when it happened a second time.
"In a lot of situations, those guys just flash themselves and run away," Polansky said.
But she wasn't going to let that happen. She pulled a U-turn and chased down the man before bringing him to the ground in a hold. She called out for help, but when no assistance arrived, she eventually let him go.
Massachusetts State Police released footage of the confrontation in hopes of finding the suspect, who has yet to be caught. The video soon went internationally viral. Since then, Polansky has done interviews with news outlets all over the world and has become a symbol of female empowerment for many.
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston and New England area.
For Polansky, who is a personal trainer and takes pride in being confident and independent, this is a great opportunity to inspire other women to fight back.
"I actually motivate women and empower them," she said. "Which is great. I never thought I'd be in this place, although I have always wanted it."
We caught up with Polansky to ask her about what happened, what she thinks it means to be empowered and what it is like being a viral star. Watch it all in the videos above.