Fitness expert Denise Austin and her daughter just made history.
The duo walked the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway together, the first mother-daughter duo to do so. At 65, Denise looked every bit like a model, as did her daughter Katie, a 29-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit rookie.
Both women looked stunning in two-piece bathing suits, Denise’s being brown and Katie clad in cream.
Denise also became the oldest model to ever walk the SI runway.
Denise told Sports Illustrated about the experience: “I am so excited and so proud to walk in the show with my daughter, Katie. These are such special moments with my daughter that will last a lifetime. I feel so grateful that Sports Illustrated Swimsuit invited me to walk the show with Katie. As a 65 year old, I’m also so proud to represent moms of all ages — and that it’s never too late.”
Katie shared similar sentiments with Sports Illustrated, calling her mom her "biggest supporter" and sharing that she felt the runway walk was a truly "full circle moment."
"She’s guided me throughout my career and helped me get to where I am today," she said.
She continued, opening up about how much she shares with her mom. "In the past SI events, I always call her so excited to tell her every detail, but now we can experience it together! I’m thrilled she can be with all of us this weekend and see how amazing the entire SI team, girls, and community is like in real life because it is unmatched. It’s going to be an unforgettable experience.”
Denise started her journey in the fitness world as a gymnast. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in physical education and a minor in exercise physiology. She went on to create numerous exercise videos and author numerous columns about fitness and nutrition. She was a member of George W. Bush’s President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She had several successful workout television shows, such as Getting Fit With Denise Austin. These days, you can find several of her workout videos on YouTube or subscribe to her magazine Fit Over Fifty.
Daughter Katie followed her mom’s footsteps into the fitness world but has also made the journey her own. She studied broadcast journalism at University of Southern California, where she played Division I lacrosse. She is a popular content creator and publishes her work at KatieAustin.TV and her own app. Seventeen magazine named her Instagram account one of the top 10 to follow.
Both women posted on Instagram about how much they loved walking the runway together. Denise stated, “I will cherish that memory with my daughter Katie forever!!!” Katie chimed in, “what a special moment!!” It is evident that these two share a special bond. What a beautiful mother/daughter moment the world got to witness.
