Meet 'Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit's Curviest Model Hunter McGrady

​

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

Hunter is using this opportunity to give women out there who are uncomfortable in their own skin a little confidence boost.

"This is a surreal moment for me," McGrady, 23, wrote on Instagram. I want to thank @MJ_Day for an opportunity like this 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."

She added, "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."

​

McGrady posed in a full body-painted swimsuit that took painters 12 hours to create. She looks absolutely gorgeous in the tie-dye design complete with braided detailing.

​

Great work honey. You deserve all of it. Break the stereotype. https://t.co/P1VbAmLO3Q

— michael mcgrady (@Michael_McGrady) February 15, 2017

McGrady got Twitter talking in the most positive way about her stunning images. The sweetest message was from her incredibly proud father.

Michael McGrady retweeted his daughter's photos and wrote, "Great work honey. You deserve all of it. Break the stereotype."

One fan tweeted, "@HunterMcGrady is the reason I'll be buying a copy of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition GORGEOUS"

Another wrote, "@HunterMcGrady posted a couple of pics from her sports illustrated shoot on her Facebook she look incredible #curveywomen #loveyourcurves"

​

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover goes to Kate Upton! The model is gracing the magazine's cover for the third time.

The 24-year-old was first featured in SI Swimsuit back in 2011 and received the Rookie of the Year honor. Then, she went on to land the cover in both 2012 and 2013.

"It's a full circle moment for us," SI Swimsuit editor MJ Day said. "We started Kate in her career, and you know, we watched her grow and become not only this worldwide, superstar phenomenon; she changed the direction of the modeling industry. Kate Upton was really this trailblazer that led the way for the Ashley Grahams of the world and everything you're seeing happen that's different in fashion right now."