A 26-year-old model from Minnesota is breaking boundaries by attempting to become the first woman with Down’s syndrome to appear in Sports Illustrated‘s iconic Swimsuit Issue. It’s Mikayla Holmgren’s next big goal now that she’s already made history by becoming the first Miss USA pageant contestant with Down’s syndrome in 2017, where she won both the Spirit of Miss USA and the Director’s awards. You go, Mikayla!
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- Mikayla recently filmed an audition video for Sports Illustrated. She wanted to show off all the amazing qualities she has to offer the magazine, and there are plenty of them! ~Hi, SI. I am Mikayla Holmgren. I am from Minnesota. SI Swim has been such a champion of the diversity of beauty. Now is the time to include someone like me,” she said in the video. “I am a dancer, a model, public speaker, and college graduate. I am the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in the Miss USA state pageant. I rocked my bathing suit on the stage. Now, it’s time to rock the magazine.”
- She wants to be a beacon of inspiration for other people with a disability. One of Mikayla’s biggest motivations for auditioning for SI is that she wants other people with disabilities to know that they should dream big and go after all of their biggest goals without limitations. “Everyone is talking about inclusion right now and one of the most underrepresented groups is people with disabilities. I would love to be the beacon of hope for so many young girls who can relate to me,” she wrote on Instagram.
- Mikayla hasn’t heard back just yet. However, given that Sports Illustrated has been really great about displaying diverse beauty, even featuring transgender swimsuit model Leyna Bloom earlier this month, I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to feature someone as amazing as Mikayala. Fingers crossed for her!
- In the meantime, she has plenty of modeling work to keep her busy. She’s been featured in campaigns by Sephora, Sigma Beauty, and more, and work isn’t slowing down anytime soon. “I love to model because I am a role model to so many people,” she said. “I (also) love to model because modeling is a passion of art.” She’s damn good at it too!
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