Why Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue’s Director Posed in a Bikini to Promote Body Confidence

Lauren Tuck
·News Editor


After 19 years of working on the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, editor MJ Day talks the talk and walks the walk.

When the newest edition was released, Day shared a video on Instagram of herself in a black two-piece holding her son. “Funny how I have spent my life on a beach since childhood and I have never truly felt comfortable in a swimsuit. Even at my thinnest. We need to love ourselves in the present. No matter what,” she captioned the video that has received more than 50,000 views since it was posted on Wednesday.

Deep.Breath. If I'm going to talk the talk I am going to walk the walk. Please consider participating. It was equally terrifying and liberating for me. Funny how I have spent my life on a beach since childhood and I have never truly felt comfortable in a swimsuit. Even at my thinnest. We need to love ourselves in the present. No matter what. I invite you all to do so. ????????????❤#50shadesoftan Repost @womenirl with @repostapp ・・・ Introducing the #WhatIModel campaign, a partnership with @SI_Swimsuit and @healthmagazine. This year's Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit issue is the most inclusive ever and features women of various ages, backgrounds and body types. We’re celebrating this vision of beauty and confidence on our feed… in our swimsuits. Because you should feel beautiful no matter what you wear, and we’re ready to love our swimsuits again. Meet @mj_day, the editor of SI Swimsuit, and find out what *she* models. Then, upload your own video (in your suit) and tag it #WhatIModel & #LoveYourSwimsuit for the chance to be featured here. Stay tuned all week for inspiring messages about body confidence and authenticity. #womenirl

A post shared by MJ Day (@mj_day) on Feb 15, 2017 at 6:25am PST

Because this year’s issue showcases the most diversity in the magazine’s history, featuring women of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and backgrounds, Day partnered with the @WomenIRL Instagram account and Health.com to spread the message of inclusion to an even wider audience.

Speaking to Yahoo News, Day said, “It’s born out of the belief that women do need to love themselves and feel comfortable with how they are, in their present.” When she was conceptualizing the idea, she volunteered herself, which, she explains, “at the time felt insane but it felt like the right thing to do. Because I am always championing women and celebrating their beauty, but I’m also always in a T-shirt and jean shorts on the sidelines cheering them on.”

While it might seem that spending nearly two decades surrounded by the most beautiful women in the world would have a negative impact on her body image, it has actually had quite the opposite effect. According to Day, spending time with them is actually wonderful. “Because those models are actually friends and an incredibly supportive and lovely group of women. They’ll be the first person to tell you how beautiful you look or how great that dress looks on you,” she says. “They’re full of compliments because they’re your friends and they’re real people just like the rest of us. They just happen to be genetically gifted and have attributes not everyone shares.” Day has always felt it to be a warm and embracing environment.

In her position, Day gets a lot of feedback. “I see and I hear all of these women around the world comparing themselves against other women — it doesn’t need to be that way,” she says. “We can all just be happy where we are and celebrate ourselves and have our own goals and have our agendas.”

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