Over the last few years, it has become apparent that our world is filled with awe-inspiring female athletes. These athletes have paved the way for thousands of women alike, and we commend them for being so dominant in their field of expertise!
But there is no doubt these ladies' radiant beauty! If these women hadn't entered the world of athletics, they definitely could've found the same success in modeling.
Laila Ali
Laila Ali is legendary boxer Muhammad Ali's daughter! Just like her father, Laila is a former professional boxer. She competed between 1999 and 2007 before retiring undefeated. These days, she is happily married and does various amounts of television work. She has appeared on George Lopez and participated in Dancing With the Stars.
Not only does Laila have an undeniable presence on television, but she is also extremely beautiful. This is why she has appeared in Sports Illustrated, People, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan magazines.
Blair O'Neal
Born and raised in Arizona, Blair O'Neal started playing golf when she was just 11 years old. At 13, she started playing for the American Junior Golf Association. From there, her career only grew. She played collegiate-level golf at Arizona State University for four years while starting a modeling career.
Unsurprisingly, she excelled as both a golfer and a model. Have you seen her? She is absolutely stunning! She recently welcomed her first child into the world with her husband, Jeff Keiser.
Natalie Coughlin
Natalie Coughlin is known as a competitive swimmer, and the California native is a twelve-time Olympic medalist! She is so good at what she does that she has won the World Swimmer of the Year Award once and the American Swimmer of the Year Award three times.
In 2016, she had her last big meet, and since then, she has become the spokeswoman for C20 Coconut Water. She also wrote a book and modeled for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Courtney Force
Courtney Force is the youngest daughter of John Force, a 16-time NHRA World Funny Car Champion. The 32-year-old has followed in her father's footsteps and is a drag racer. Over the years, she has worked hard to become a household name, just like her father.
Over the years, she has made a few television appearances, including a feature with her family on A&E's reality show Driving Force. She had been married to fellow race car driver Graham Rahal since 2015, and in 2020, the couple welcomed their first child into the world.
Daniela Hantuchová
Successful tennis player, Daniela Hantuchová, made her breakthrough in 2002 after she won her first WTA tournament. This was the first of many accomplishments during her 18-year career.
While becoming a world-famous tennis star, she also modeled for magazines such as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and ESPN: The Magazine's "The Body Issue." Although Daniela is considered a symbol of beauty, she has stated that modeling is "just fun to do from time to time."
Kim Glass
In May of 2007, indoor volleyball star, Kim Glass, joined the U.S. national team. One year later, she appeared at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, helping Team USA win a silver medal.
Over the years, she has also done a bit of modeling work, which makes sense, considering how breathtakingly gorgeous she is! In 2011, she appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, but she has also auditioned for Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model on five different occasions!
Alana Blanchard
Professional surfer, Alana Blanchard, has taken part in the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour. But aside from riding waves, she also designs Rip Curl swimwear, which is a line of swimwear specifically made for surfing.
Her naturally beachy hair and flawless facial features have landed her many modeling roles over the years. Nowadays, she keeps herself busy by raising her son with her fiancé and Australian pro-surfer Jack Freestone.
Silje Norendal
Silje Norendal is a professional Norwegian snowboarder who competes in slopestyle. At only 26 years old, she had accomplished quite a lot during her career. In 2013, she won gold during the Winter X Games Europe in Tignes; in 2018, she finished in fourth place at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea.
Over the years, she has received a lot of attention for her breathtaking looks and radiant smile, modeling for various brands and magazines.
Alica Schmidt
21-year-old Alica Schmidt is a German sprinter and hurdler who has made a name for herself for both her talent and good looks.
In 2008, she represented the United States at the Summer Olympics, and in 2012, she did the same at the London Olympics. She also competed at the World Championships in Athletics on three different occasions during 2005, 2007, and 2011. In her free time, Schmidt models, which comes as no surprise as she's considered one of the world's most beautiful athletes.
Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanović is yet another star who has dominated the world of tennis. Originally from Serbia, Ana began competing professionally in 2003 before retiring in 2016. During her career, Ana has won several singles titles and was even ranked No. 1 in the world in 2008.
Despite her retirement, Ana hasn't slowed down. Aside from raising her two sons with husband, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ana has modeled for multiple magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, Bella, and Vanity Fair (Spain), among many others.
Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt may have retired from figure skating in the late '80s, but that doesn't mean her name has been forgotten, especially due to the fact that the German native has worked in film and television since.
In any event, Witt rose to stardom after winning two Olympic gold medals for East Germany — the first at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics and the second at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. She also happens to be a four-time World Champion and two-time World silver medalist. With her unstoppable talent and radiant beauty, it's no surprise that Witt was East Germany's poster athlete.
Lindsey Vonn
Now 35 years old, Lindsey Vonn is an American former World Cup alpine ski racer for the U.S. Ski Team. After beginning to ski at the young age of two, Vonn went on to have an extremely successful career, winning multiple championships and Olympic gold medals.
Although Vonn retired in 2019, there's no doubt that she'll always be remembered for her insane talent and striking beauty. Throughout the years, Vonn has modeled for various magazines, including the 2010 and 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, as well as Maxim.
Soo Yeon Lee
Believe it or not, people, but table tennis — a.k.a. ping-pong — is a professional sport. Meet Soo Yeon Lee, a former South Korean player who shocked the world with her technique and drive before retiring. Lee began playing table tennis at a very young age and was even extensively trained in the sport by an Olympic gold medalist.
Since she stepped away from her racket, Lee has gone on to become a coach, actress, and professional model. In fact, she has been featured in advertisement campaigns for a number of prominent brands, including Nike, Adidas, K-Swiss, Red Bull, and Target.
Gabrielle Reece
Gabrielle Reece, now 50 years old, has not only made a name for herself as a professional volleyball player but also as a sports announcer, fashion model, and actress. After playing collegiate-level volleyball for Florida State University — on scholarship — Reece moved to New York City to pursue a parallel career as a sports fashion model whilst continuing in her pro-volleyball career.
Then again, we can't say that this surprises us so much as she looks like a natural in front of the camera, not to mention her insanely gorgeous appearance.