Had these ladies not entered the world of athletics, there’s no doubt that they would have easily been just as successful as models. Keep scrolling to read about these iconic powerhouses…
Alana Blanchard
Hailing all the way from paradise, also known as Hawaii, Alana Blanchard is an accomplished professional surfer who has taken part in the ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) World Tour. Aside from riding waves, Blanchard designs Rip Curl swimwear — particularly a line of wetsuits specifically made for surfing. With her naturally beachy hair and flawless facial features, it doesn’t come as a shock that Blanchard does modeling work in addition to her surfing career. She also keeps busy raising her son with fiancé and Australian pro-surfer Jack Freestone.
Alica Schmidt
Alica Schmidt may only be 21 years old but there’s no denying that the German sprinter and hurdler has already made a name for herself, for both her talent and looks. Not only has she represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 London Olympics but she also competed at the World Championships in Athletics on three different occasions — 2005, 2007, and 2011. When she isn’t on the track, Schmidt models, which isn’t a shocker as she’s considered one of the world’s most beautiful athletes.
Alex Morgan
Alright, people — how stunning is Alex Morgan?! Now 31 years old, Morgan is an American soccer player for the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League, the highest division of women’s professional soccer in the United States. An unstoppable force to be reckoned with, Morgan has helped the U.S. win their titles at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups. Besides her accomplishments on the field, though, Morgan has also found success in modeling for a number of magazines including the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Vogue, Elle, and Time among various others.
Laila Ali
Daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, Laila is a former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007 before retiring undefeated. Not only does she have an undeniable presence but she’s also downright beautiful. The powerhouse has also appeared in numerous magazines such as Sports Illustrated, People, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan among many more.
Blair O’Neal
Raised in Arizona, the ever-so stunning Blair O’Neal has been playing golf since she was just 11 years old. By the time she turned 13, Blair began playing for the American Junior Golf Association and her career only grew from there. After four years of collegiate-level golf at Arizona State University, O’Neal began playing professionally all whilst establishing a modeling career. After all, have you seen her?! Her smile could seriously light up a room! In any event, the blonde bombshell has been quite busy throughout the years. Today, though, she has her hands full taking care of her newborn baby with husband Jeff Keiser.
Natalie Coughlin
A California native, Natalie Coughlin is a competitive swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. With these kinds of achievements under her belt, it’s no surprise that Coughlin has earned the World Swimmer of the Year Award once as well as American Swimmer of the Year Award three times. Since her last big meet in 2016, Coughlin has kept busy with other ventures. Aside from becoming a spokeswoman for C20 Coconut Water and appearing on television, Coughlin has written a book and modeled for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which doesn’t come as much of a shock considering her impressive talent and radiant beauty.
Courtney Force
The youngest daughter of 16-time NHRA World Funny Car Champion John Force, Courtney Force isn’t your ordinary 32-year-old. After following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a drag racer, the blonde-haired beauty worked hard to become a household name. During her career, Force also did television work including a feature with her family on A&E’s reality show Driving Force. In 2015, she married fellow racecar driver Graham Rahal and five years later, the couple announced that they’re expecting their first child in November 2020. So, although Force retired from her sport in 2019, there’s no doubt that she’ll be keeping busy.
Courtney Force[/caption
Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová is a retired tennis player from Slovakia. After turning professional, Daniela made her breakthrough in 2002 when she won her first WTA tournament — and that was the first of many accomplishments to come during her 18-year career. While Daniela was making a name for herself as a world-famous tennis star, she also modeled for magazines including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and ESPN: The Magazine’s “The Body Issue.” It was then that Daniela was also noticed for her undeniably good looks. Although she’s widely considered to be a symbol of beauty, Daniela has never really considered herself as such, saying that modeling is “just fun to do from time to time.”
Kim Glass
Here we have Kim Glass — an indoor volleyball star who joined the U.S. national team in May of 2007. The following year, Glass made her first Olympic appearance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, helping Team USA to a silver medal. Aside from becoming a champion in her respective sport, Glass has also dabbled in modeling, which makes sense considering how stunning this woman is. Are we right?! Aside from appearing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2011, Kim had also auditioned for Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model five different times while she was in college.
Silje Norendal
A Norwegian professional snowboarder, Silje Norendal competes in slopestyle. Now 26 years old, there’s no denying that Norendal has accomplished quite a lot throughout her career thus far. Not only has she won gold during the Winter X Games Europe in Tignes in 2013, but Norendal also finished in fourth place at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Korea. Aside from her indisputable talent, Norendal has also received attention for her breathtaking looks and radiant smile, modeling for various brands and magazines.
Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanović is yet another star who has dominated in 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 South Korean former 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.
Danica Patrick
Known as the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, Danica Patrick is an absolute machine. Now 38 years old, the former professional racecar driver dominated in her sport before retiring in 2018. In fact, her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman in an IndyCar Series race. A globally recognized athlete, Patrick has become a pop culture icon throughout the years due to her talent and looks. Not only has she done film and television work but she’s also been a cover model for magazines such as FHM, Sports Illustrated, TV Guide, and ESPN: The Magazine.
Kerri Walsh
Yet another powerhouse is Kerri Walsh, a professional beach volleyball player. Throughout her career, Kerri has impressed fans by becoming a three-time Olympic gold medalist as well as a one-time Olympic bronze medalist. She was even five weeks pregnant during the 2012 London Olympics where she won gold — an impressive feat, to say the least. Considering how easy she is on the eyes, it’s no surprise that Kerri has also gone on to do television and modeling work, appearing in the ESPN: The Magazine “Body Issue,“ with images taken both before and after giving birth to her third child.
Jennie Finch
Born and raised in sunny California, Jennie Finch is a former professional softball player. During her career, not only did she become a collegiate All-American but also a medal-winning Olympian and two-time pro-All-Star. With this being said, there’s no denying that this blue-eyed beauty was an unstoppable force in her respective sport, so much so that Time magazine described her as the most famous softball player in history. Although Finch retired from the sport in 2010 to focus on her family, she began working at ESPN as a color commentator for National Pro Fastpitch and college softball games.
Anna Kournikova
Named one of 50 Most Beautiful People by People magazine, Anna Kournikova is a Russian former professional tennis player who has won multiple Grand Slam titles and WTA Championships. Although her career was cut short due to serious back and spinal problems, Kournikova is very much still a household name. Aside from the fact that she does quite a lot of television and modeling work, Kournikova is also known for her relationship with singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias, from whom she has three children.
Amanda Beard
Ashley Beard first rose to fame as a professional swimmer and seven-time Olympic medalist. Her success has unsurprisingly earned her the American Swimmer of the Year Award twice. After a brief hiatus, Beard came out of retirement in 2010 and placed second in the 200-meter breaststroke at the National Championships that year. Apart from being an extremely gifted swimmer, Beard has also been known to do modeling work including walking fashion shows. But then again, do you guys really find it at all surprising considering her incredible bone structure and mesmerizingly blue eyes?
Trish Stratus
Born Patricia Anne Stratigeas, Trish Stratus is a fitness master, fitness model, professional wrestler, actress, and television personality. Throughout her childhood, Trish took an interest in wrestling but it wasn’t until after pursuing a career in modeling that she was noticed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Then, in November 1999, the Canadian superstar signed to a multi-year contract with the company. Aside from professional wrestling, though, Stratus has also appeared on a number of magazine covers and been involved in charity work.
Maria Sharapova
Are you guys also starting to realize just how many beautiful tennis players there are in the world? Well, here’s another one for you — Maria Sharapova. A Russian native, Maria had an extremely fruitful career before retiring in February 2020, winning a medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Aside from making a name for herself in athletics, Maria has been known for her work with multiple magazines including a feature in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She has also appeared in several advertisements for brands such as Nike and been the face of several fashion houses.
Ronda Rousey
Often called by her nickname “Rowdy,” Ronda Rousey is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist who won Olympic medals in judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It wasn’t until 2018 that Rousey began a career in professional wrestling, signing a contract with WWE. Aside from whooping butt in the ring, Rousey has also enjoyed success as both an actress, author, and model. In all honesty, though, how could she not? Not only is she an absolute beauty but she’s also incredibly inspiring.
Serena Williams
Let’s be real — Serena Williams stole our hearts the minute she turned professional in 1995. While we could sit here the whole day telling you guys about all that Serena has accomplished, we’re pretty sure you already know. In any event, Serena is a force to be reckoned with and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Aside from dominating tennis courts all around the globe, this goddess also enjoys her fair share of television and modeling work. Then again, if we looked like her, we also wouldn’t mind posing for magazine covers.
Aly Raisman
The captain of both the 2012 “Fierce Five” and 2016 “Final Five” U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics teams, Aly Raisman is a retired gymnast and two-time Olympian that made waves in the athletic world after becoming the 2016 Olympic individual all-around silver medalist and floor exercise silver medalist. Aside from her unstoppable talent, Raisman has stunned fans with her poise and grace. Not only has she done modeling work over the years, appearing in various magazines, but she was also a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.
Lolo Jones
Lolo Jones has gained public attention throughout the years not only due to her immense talent but also because of her exotic looks. An American hurdler and bobsledder, Jones has won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honors while attending Louisiana State University. Now 37 years old, Jones has no intention of slowing down in the near future. Aside from essentially ruling in her respective sport, Jones has also done modeling work for magazines including the ESPN: The Magazine’s “The Body Issue,“ as well as the cover of Outside.
Michelle Wie
Michelle Wie, a professional golfer, began playing when she was just 10 years old. At that point, she became the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. Beyond that, Wie also became the youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the youngest to qualify for an LPGA Tour event. By 2005, shortly before her 16th birthday, Wie finally took her career to a professional level in which she was unsurprisingly accompanied by an enormous amount of publicity and endorsements. Then, in 2014, this knockout won her first major at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Eugenie Bouchard
Eugenie “Genie” Bouchard is a professional tennis player who has certainly made quite a name for herself over the last few years. In fact, at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, Bouchard became the first Canadian-born player representing Canada to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament in singles. Aside from these accomplishments, including awards that she has received, Bouchard has also been noticed for her effortless beauty. We mean, this gal has a smile that could light up any room — or tennis court, in her case.
Miesha Tate
Born and raised in Washington state, Miesha Tate is an American mixed martial arts pundit and former mixed martial artist. Throughout her years in the industry, there’s no question that Tate has solidified her place as a champion. In fact, her fighting technique has only earned her praise from multiple peers and media outlets. Outside of MMA and the UFC, though, Tate has modeled for various different websites and publications including ESPN: The Magazine and Fitness Gurls. Since her retirement, Tate has gone on to become the VP for ONE Championship — Singapore-based mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, and kickboxing promotion.
Skylar Diggins
Did your jaws drop at the sight of Skylar Diggins, too? Yeah, we thought so. This beauty queen is a 29-year-old professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). After getting drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA Draft, Diggins instantly rose to fame with her fierce talent. Not only has she been named the WNBA All-Star four times but was also recognized as the WNBA Most Improved Player in 2014. When she’s not on the court, Diggins keeps busy with modeling work for several magazines including Vogue.
Hilary Knight
An American Olympian and professional ice hockey player, Hilary Knight is undoubtedly one of the strongest people in the sport. Now 31 years old, Knight has been playing for as long as she can remember. She is currently a forward with the PWHPA — Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association — and the United States women’s national ice hockey team. Aside from shredding ice, Knight also models and is involved in the well-known #LikeAGirl campaign, making her the ultimate role model for girls all over the globe.
Torah Bright
Hailing all the way from the land down under — Australia — Torah Bright is a professional snowboarder and Australia’s most successful Winter Olympian. With her aggressive riding style and amplitude, Bright has easily become one of the biggest names in the sport. Throughout the years, she has gone on to win multiple medals, awards, and accolades. With so many accomplishments under her belt, it’s hard to imagine that Bright has time for anything else yet she does! When she isn’t wowing fans with her unbelievable tricks, she’s shocking them with her insanely good looks and modeling work.
Becky Lynch
Born and raised in Ireland, Becky Lynch might be one of the most charming people to ever grace the WWE. With her adorable accent, powerful skills, and beautiful appearance, it’s no surprise that Becky is beloved by many. Although the red-headed beauty is currently signed to WWE on the Raw brand, she’s been on maternity leave as of May 2020. Aside from wrestling, Lynch also dabbles in acting. Not only did she graduate with an acting degree from the Dublin Institute of Technology but she also attended Columbia College Chicago and the Gaiety School of Acting.
Candace Parker
At 34 years old, it’s safe to say that Candace Parker has certainly established herself in not only women’s basketball but also in the world of basketball as a whole. After getting the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft, this six-foot-four-inch goddess has helped the Los Angeles Sparks win various titles. With several awards and accolades under her belt, Parker will forever be a household name. When she isn’t bouncing the ball around, she spends her time as the studio analyst for CBS Sports NCAA men’s tournament coverage and NBA on TNT.
Nastia Liukin
This blonde-haired beauty is named Nastia Liukin, a former artistic gymnast. Throughout her career as a gymnast, Nastia won several awards and accolades including the 2008 Olympic All-Around champion. She was also a five-time Olympic medalist, the 2005 and 2007 world champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 world champion on the uneven bars. After an extremely successful career, Nastia stepped back from the sport in 2012. Since her retirement, Nastia has kept busy with not only television work but also with The Nastia Liukin Cup — an annual gymnastics competition held in the United States that’s hosted by Liukin.
Hope Solo
Another Washington state native to make this list, Hope Solo is a former soccer player. The 38-year-old stunner was the goalkeeper for the United States women’s national soccer team from 2000 to 2016 in which she became a World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Considering that she’s regarded as one of the top female goalkeepers in the world, we think it’s safe to say that Solo is a name that’ll never be forgotten. Following her impressive feat at the 2011 World Cup, Solo then participated in Dancing With the Stars and posed for numerous magazines, of course.
Gina Carano
In all honesty, we might be in love with Gina Carano. We mean, look at her! In any event, Carano started her career in the sport of Muay Thai although it wasn’t long before she transitioned into mixed martial arts, where she became the face of women’s MMA. After she retired from competition, Carano decided to keep busy with acting and modeling work. Ranked in fifth place on a list of the “Top 10 Influential Women” of 2008, Carano has been featured in ESPN: The Magazine as well as Maxim.
Anastasia Ashley
Born in California, Anastasia Ashley began surfing at the age of five right before moving to Hawaii. By the time she turned six, Ashley won a surf contest using a run-down board that she found in the garbage right outside of her house. A year after that, Ashley ultimately picked up a sponsor that would replace her board with new ones. With that being said, it’s clear that talent coursed through Ashley’s veins from the time she was a little girl. Now 33 years old, Ashley has achieved quite a lot as a professional surfer as well as a model, which doesn’t shock us considering her flawless looks.
Brie & Nikki Bella
Nikki and Brie Bella are identical twins and professional wrestling tag team that performed on WWE. The Bella Twins are both former Divas Champions, with Nikki having held the title twice and Brie once. Although they’re now retired from wrestling, both Nikki and Brie are still very much in the spotlight. Other than enjoying a life of motherhood, Nikki and Bella have their hands full with modeling work as well as running their own beauty line — Nicole + Brizee.
Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki is yet another powerhouse that the world has fallen in love with due to both her awe-inspiring talent and beguiling appearance. Originally from Denmark, Wozniacki is a former professional tennis player who reached world No. 1 in singles and the 20th in the Open Era. She also happens to be the first woman from a Scandinavian country to hold the top-ranking position. It’s important to note that Wozniacki accomplished all of this despite getting diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2018 — talk about inspiring. After her retirement in 2019, Wozniacki tied the knot with former NBA champion David Lee.