Hunter McGrady: Who Is The Curvy New Model To Pose For ‘Sports Illustrated’?

Hunter McGrady is the curviest model to grace the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. This year’s issue is all about body diversity and this new model made her mark.

The 23-year-old bikini model couldn’t be prouder. She was glad that the men’s magazine was pushing for change, reports People.

“It’s about time that we are seeing this in the media, like come on now, it’s been long enough,” she told the outlet. “I feel so proud to be a part of it.”

Robyn Lawley was the first curvy model to pose for Sports Illustrated back in 2015. She also graced the pages of the Swimsuit Issue this year. She said that body diversity is something that she’s been fighting for throughout much of her career.

“Considering my whole career has been based on that, I’m thrilled and very excited, and to actually witness change and be part of the actual change is the best part,” Lawley said. “Having Serena Williams, Christie Brinkley, having iconic athletes, there’s something literally for everyone, it’s very exciting.”

Throughout most of Hunter’s photo shoot, she was seen rocking body paint. The entire process took 12 hours from start to finish by Joanne Gair.

“I didn’t feel like I was naked at all. But I was 100 percent naked. You have to own it,” she told Yahoo Style.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPavgKxBpDh/?taken-by=huntermcgrady

McGrady stands tall at 5’11” with a 45-inch bust and a 38-inch waist, according to her Wilhelmina Models stats. Those stats make her the curviest model to be featured in the annual swimsuit issue.

“I want women to pick up what is the considered the sexiest magazine issue and feel inspired,” McGrady said. “There’s someone in it who looks like them, who isn’t the traditional model they see. Every body type is beautiful. I feel sexy and confident. Not despite of my body but because of my body.”

If you haven’t checked out her social media accounts yet, then you should. On her Instagram page, Hunter shares a lot of selfies, candid photos, bikini photos, and photo shoots with other major brands such as Ashley Graham’s Swimsuits For All, reports Bustle. She also gives fans a glimpse into her everyday life.

Over on her Snapchat account, she is a bit more personal. You can expect to see McGrady lounging around in her PJs, showing off her manicure, and sharing snapshots of her vacations. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, she revealed the difference between her image on her Instagram and Snapchat accounts.

“I’m a very sexy person on my Instagram,” she said. “I’m a very sexy person when I’m out in public and speaking, but behind closed doors, let me tell you, I’m wearing NFL pajama pants, and I have glasses on and a face mask on my face. Don’t get it twisted.”

In that same interview, Hunter revealed that she stumbled into plus-size modeling when she was 19.

“It was actually Robyn Lawley, Tara Lynn and Candice Huffine on the Vogue Italia cover. I saw that and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, ‘these women are so beautiful and they are my size.’ By that time, I had gained some weight and I was about a size 10-12. And that’s what kind of opened my eyes to the plus size world. I went into Wilhelmina and I got signed and from there, it was like one job after another.”

Interested in seeing McGrady’s other work. Better get your Google search ready because in the past she has posed for SLINK Jeans and has appeared in various magazine spreads with fellow plus-size model Jordyn Woods. Expect to see a lot more of McGrady this year.

[Featured Image by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated]