For too long, it’s seemed like women have had to choose between having muscles and having the beauty standard. The body of an athlete was rarely on TV or the front page of magazines– until now. With so many athletes and diverse body types in the spotlight, we may be entering a time when athletic bodies are not only normalized but also celebrated. To most people, these new athlete models are just advertisements, but for some, they're an indication of a cultural shift in a much-needed direction.

Ilona Maher Sports Illustrated (John Parra / Getty Images)

In a world where every woman on TV, in magazines, or on billboards looked different from me, it was difficult not to internalize the message that something about my body was wrong. The body I had worked so hard to shape through hours spent in the pool and the weight room, the body that enabled me to pursue what I loved most, eventually became something I felt ashamed of.

Ironically, I was most insecure about my “swimmer shoulders,” the very testament to how hard I worked in my sport. Through years of trying to hide them with clothing or poses, there was only one time I felt any type of relief – the Olympics.

For one summer every four years, I would feel proud of the body that served me so well in the pool, watching women with shoulders even more built than mine shatter records and achieve their dreams. For a few lingering months, these women would be on the magazine covers and advertisements, and for a while, I’d be convinced that maybe strong and beautiful weren’t mutually exclusive or, at best, two things that could maybe coexist in some cases.

But then we would return to the regular programming, in the media and in my mind, where I was back to avoiding halter tops and being on the edge of group pictures.

As much as we don’t like to admit it, the representation of women’s bodies in the media does affect us, and my story is a perfect example of how sensitive we are to it. It’s so easy to convince a young girl to hate the thing that brings her the most power in sports, but it’s just as easy to reverse the narrative.

What if various athletic bodies were celebrated throughout the year, not just during the Olympics? What if the strength and wear-and-tear from sports weren't associated solely with masculinity? What if femininity wasn't linked to something as uncontrollable as body type? What if someone who looked like me could be featured on the cover of a magazine? Well, it’s beginning to happen, and it’s long overdue, beyond just the Olympic timeline.

This past weekend, we witnessed several athletes showcasing a diverse range of body types on the Sports Illustrated Miami Swimsuit Week runway. Along with the upcoming 2025 Sports Illustrated edition featuring more athletes than ever, this event has been a healing and transformative experience for those of us who have ever felt that our bodies weren’t meant for the spotlight. Observing athletes of various shapes and sizes effortlessly commanding the camera and the runway serves as an important reminder that there is no singular mold for beauty. It highlights the truth that femininity, power, and strength can coexist harmoniously. The days of women needing to shrink themselves, both literally and metaphorically, to fit societal beauty standards are behind us. For what feels like the first time, women are being celebrated not in spite of their strength but because of it.

Although there is still much work to do, I hope this celebration of strength and femininity continues to grow exponentially. I want little girls like myself to see their representation in the media and learn to view their bodies as powerful rather than shameful. While it may seem like just a simple photoshoot and runway show, it means so much more to those of us who grew up feeling constrained by our size and our muscles – it’s truly revolutionary. Our bodies reflect the incredible things we are capable of, and it’s time we celebrate that all the time.

If you haven't had the chance to see your favorite athletes showcase their stunning looks in swimsuits, here’s a roundup of their amazing outfits, along with some quotes that might resonate with you.

Ilona Maher: Olympic Rugby

“All body types matter, all body types are worthy, from the smallest gymnast to the tallest volleyball player, from a Rugby player to a shot putter and a sprinter. All body types are beautiful and can do amazing things, so truly see yourself in these athletes and know that you can do it too.”

— Ilona Maher

Jordan Chiles: Olympic Gymnastics

“I feel amazing in that I get to finally say that I’m 24 years old. My body changes every single day. As women, we have to go through a lot. We go through our cycles, we go through body positivity, sometimes imposter syndrome. I get the ability to change and hopefully make everybody embrace the same thing because our bodies are our bodies. Nobody can take that away.”

— Jordan Chiles

Ali Truwit: Paralymic Swimmer

“I think representation is everything. And I am beyond honored and proud to be the second ever Paralympian in the 60-plus years of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. You know, if you can see it, you can be it. And so I hope young girls look at this issue and see these athletes, beautiful and strong, and see that they can be that too.”

— Ali Truwit

Anna Hall: Olympic Track

“I was like, well, I think so highly of these people and, yeah, they are strong, yes, they do have big quads, yes, they have arm muscles. I shouldn’t be ashamed of that. [...] I hope people take away that being strong is powerful, and that I hope that they kind of like see me through them.”

— Anna Hall

Suni Lee: Olympic Gymnastics

Sunni Lee Sports Illustrated (Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated)

“Gymnastics has definitely impacted my body image. We have to wear skin-tight leotards. There are so many critics online, but I’m always going to be my biggest critic, so whenever you read things, it just kind of makes you overthink. But I just had to learn that my body is my temple, and I wouldn’t be able to do what I have to do without it.”

— Suni Lee

Cameron Brink: WNBA Player

“I think it’s always really hard to be a woman in this world, but especially a female athlete,” Brink says. “Am I supposed to look more feminine? Am I supposed to look more athletic? What’s the balance? What do people think? [...] My femininity—I hold that very close to my self-image, so it’s definitely gone back and forth. I think every female athlete’s had a really rough go with body image. But I’m definitely glad I’ve gotten to a really good place, and I’m able to do stuff like this with SI Swimsuit. It’s just very empowering, so I hope everyone can get to a point like this.”

— Cameron Brink

Caroline Marks: Olympic Surfer

“It’s not only that I’m a professional athlete, but I’m also in a sport where I’m always in a bikini, and it is very exposing. “I think for me, it was weird because there would be, like, thousands of positive comments and then, like, one negative one, and unfortunately, sometimes you just focus on the negative one. At the end of the day, I think when people are making negative comments about you, it’s usually their own insecurity, and I think just learning that has been really helpful.”

— Caroline Marks

Gabby Thomas: Olympic Track

“I teetered between not wanting to look too masculine and strong and also wanting to maintain a feminine look and be thin. “There were times where it would make me feel self-conscious to be a really strong track athlete. [...] I think what I would tell girls now is to not worry about what society thinks about your body. Don’t worry about what society tells you your body is for. That’s for you to decide, and you can do amazing things with it.”

— Gabby Thomas

Livvy Dunne: NCAA Gymnastics

“Being a young girl going through puberty, it’s hard to be in a leotard. The whole sport of gymnastics is having people judge you, and I just think that’s something not a lot of people talk about. Yes, I’m confident in myself, but it’s something I still struggle with to this day. I want girls to know that it’s normal. That’s normal.”

— Livvy Dunne

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