Hunter McGrady is the Body-Positive Model You’re Going to Want to Know About

The 2017 Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated may just be the magazine’s most body-positive yet, thanks to plus-size model Hunter McGrady.

McGrady was the winner of this year’s Sports Illustrated Model Search contest, and despite the fact that she’s a fresh face, we’re thinking this won’t be the last we see of her. The model’s 38-inch waist makes her the curviest woman to ever grace the magazine’s pages – and considering how much her shoot totally ~killed it~ we hope this is the proof other magazines need to start featuring more diverse body types.

 

This is a surreal moment for me. You guys I have been bursting to tell you all about this! I want to thank @MJ_Day for an opportunity like this to do the SI model search and for being a force in this industry and everyone at @si_swimsuit for promoting that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Beauty is not a number. It has no limits. I have never felt sexier than I did in this shoot. Thank you to @joannegair and team @therealmarissajade and @trendytribals for working your magic on my body. These women painted this suit for 12 hours and I never wanted to take it off. Women, for anyone who has ever felt uncomfortable or insecure because of rolls, or stretch marks, or cellulite, or acne, or felt like you didn’t measure up because you weren’t represented in the magazines–THIS IS FOR YOU! You are beautiful. You are STRONG. You are powerful and together we need to lift eachother up and inspire one another. There’s too much going on on this world to let eachother fall by the wayside. Shot by another incredible woman- @josie_clough amazing sexy beach hair by @adammaclay thank you to my agents @uralucky1 @marissamuscari @ginabaronedirectorofficial @jaimegoldberg_ @wilhelminamodels for being such hard working and dedicated team! We did it ! #breakingboundaries #siswim

A post shared by Hunter McGrady (@huntermcgrady) on Feb 15, 2017 at 4:34am PST

 

McGrady also has a totally kickass, empowering message for every woman who has felt like she’s not enough because of her body type. “Women, for anyone who has ever felt uncomfortable or insecure because of rolls, or stretch marks, or cellulite, or acne, or felt like you didn’t measure up because you weren’t represented in the magazines–THIS IS FOR YOU! You are beautiful,” she captioned one of the photos she posted from the shoot. 

In addition to McGrady’s appearance in the magazine, Sports Illustrated also features 63-year-old supermodel Christie Brinkley and debuted Ashley Graham’s new “Every Body, Every Age, Every Beautiful” ad campaign, resulting in an issue that’s far more diverse in age and size than ever before. Maybe a cover is in order for McGrady in the future?

• body positive
• entertainment
• model
• plus size