Tyra Banks opened up about how it felt getting the cover spot this year for one of the 2019 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues and how it compared to the last time.
“I thought I needed to drop 30 pounds. I thought I had to look the same,” the 45-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model captioned her post on Instagram Sunday, along with a jaw-dropping shot from this year’s magazine rocking a red and pink bikini.(SLIDESHOW: 142 Times Josephine Skriver Barely Wore Anything)
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“Then the ice cream called my name,” she added. “Yep, all flavors. From Butter Pecan to Matcha to Coffee. I love me some ice cream and I just couldn’t say no to it when I heard it calling. ‘TyTy, Come eat me…’ from my mom’s freezer.”(SLIDESHOW: 71 Times Samantha Hoopes Stripped Down)
Banks continued, “So, this is me in @si_swimsuit today. Ice Screaming from mountain tops, ‘Screw cookie cutter beauty!’ Yes, we should exercise. Stay healthy. Take our vitamins. But sometimes we can give ourselves permission to work out with a scoop of frozen deliciousness in our hands.”(SLIDESHOW: This Blonde Bombshell Might Be The Hottest Model On The Internet)
“Remember the 10 year challenge every one was doing on social? The one where you posted a photo of yourself now next to a photo of yourself 10 years ago,” the supermodel explained in a second post. “Well, I guess this is my @si_swimsuit 22 year challenge.”
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“But to me, it’s not just about what I’m looking like. It’s about what I’m FEELING like,” she added. “Back then, I knew I had a plan to do more than model. I knew I wanted to make a difference. I knew I had a calling to do more than for just myself.”(SLIDESHOW: These Women On Instagram Hate Wearing Clothes)
Banks continued, “I just didn’t know HOW I was gonna do it. Today, 22 years later, I rise out of bed everyday to show that yes, a woman who was a model (and is now a model again!) can indeed be powerful beyond pictures. Can indeed be a strong leader in changing the world’s perceptions of narrowly defined beauty.”
“Can indeed be an example for others to follow so I can sit back one day when I’m old and gray to enjoy the things that YOU are doing to push my mission further than I ever dreamed possible,” the swimsuit model shared.”Yeah, my 22 year challenge has a whole ‘nother meaning beyond what you just SEE.”
As previously reported, Sports Illustrated made the big reveal last week sharing that Banks would once again grace the cover of the coveted issue like she did for the first time back in 1993, becoming the first black woman to get a solo cover.