When you think of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, you might think of some of the more iconic faces to grace the cover. Christie Brinkley, Elle Macpherson, and Cheryl Tiegs are some of the famous models who have graced the cover, and they all have a certain look.
In 1997, Tyra Banks challenged the idea of the SI Swimsuit model by being the first black model to star on the cover. In 2007, Beyoncé made waves as the cover star, since she is neither a model nor an athlete. In 2015, Ashley Graham became the first plus-sized model to land the coveted cover.
Today, Sports Illustrated continues to work toward inclusivity. It held its first-ever in-person, open casting call at Miami's W South Beach this past weekend. Women of all shapes and sizes were encouraged to come out and try to land a spot on the Swim Week runway. One model wowed crowds by walking the runway while breastfeeding her baby.
The Sports Illustrated Swim Search was bringing the heat to Miami during a weekend in July.
Meet Mara Martin, one of the 16 finalists that hit the runway for SI Swim Week.
Aside from being a gorgeous model, Mara is also a mama. Her daughter, Aria, is just 5 months old.
Aria accompanied her mom to the search for SI runway models and was all smiles when Mara was picked to be one of 16 models to walk the runway.
Aria ended up hitting the runway with her mama and making a mark of her own. Mara walked in the show while breastfeeding, and it was seen as a power move by all.
The moment went viral quickly, with headlines around the world praising Mara for doing something so natural on such a public stage.
While some questioned it as a PR stunt or just altogether unnecessary, moms who still get flack for breastfeeding in public saw it as a monumental step in normalizing the feeding practice.
Mara posted one of the headlines on her Instagram, in disbelief about how "something I do every day" was gaining so much national attention.
Mara was very humble about the experience, directing attention at other models who she felt were more worthy of the amount of conversation her walk had generated.
Mara shouted out other women whose stories she felt should be highlighted. Allyn Rose walked after having a double mastectomy at the age of 26.
She also gave a shout-out to Brenna Huckaby, a two-time cancer survivor and Paralympic gold medalist.
Fans were supportive not only of her breastfeeding on the runway but of her using the spotlight to shine it on other women as well.
Mara appeared with Aria on a Today show segment where she reiterated that she's "grateful to be a part of it and to represent moms."
It's wonderful to see how women have lifted each other up in such a negative climate. We're making strides, ladies!
