Haley Kalil Says External Beauty Fades, What’s on the Inside Is Forever

The four-time SI Swimsuit model divulges her definition of beauty.

Haley Kalil was photographed by James Macari in Hollywood, Fla. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Four-time SI Swimsuit star Haley Kalil has always turned heads with her stunning looks. But when asked about her definition of beauty, the 2018 Swim Search co-winner offers a thoughtful and introspective response.

“[When I think of] beauty, I think of internal beauty, because my parents always told me, the most beautiful people are beautiful from the inside. Beauty on the outside fades. The beauty on the inside is forever,” Kalil explains. “So, if you treat people kindly, if you’re humble, if you’re sweet, if you’re personable, that’s the beauty that lasts a lifetime.”

The 32-year-old, who posed for the magazine four years in a row, traveling to Belize, Kenya,Scrub Island and Hollywood, Fla., uses her platform to spread positivity and humor as a content creator and comedian.

“Because all of this, [your face, your body], this is just temporary,” she adds, gesturing to her heart. “It’s that that’s going to stick with you for the rest of your life and, hopefully, stick with the people that you meet and you interact with.”

The Minnesota native has previously opened up about her not-so-great experiences in the modeling industry. From body-shaming agents to payment delays to rules on how much of her quirky, authentic self she could share on social media, Kalil eventually decided to no longer work with agencies and chose to self-represent going forward.

Her SI Swimsuit gig was her first professional modeling experience, and it was unlike any that followed. The team and photographers made her feel “incredible and amazing,” and allowed her to serve as the representation she didn’t have growing up.

The self-proclaimed “nerd,” who holds degrees in biomedical sciences and psychology, adds that the way that SI Swimsuit celebrates differences is “beautiful.” Her “ultimate” goal is for a young girl who is getting teased for being a redhead, the way Kalil was as a child, to see her images within the magazine and feel empowered, represented and beautiful.

“I went from being somebody that had no modeling experience, I had never had a modeling agency, I was turned down by every modeling agency I ever contacted [to being in the magazine], and so Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has truly opened up so many doors for me,” Kalil gushed of her work with the magazine. “[The brand is] all about embracing beauty in every different shape, size, color, and it’s that diversity that makes Sports Illustrated Swimsuit so beautiful, and that’s what the industry is now embracing.”