Swimsuit

9 Gorgeous Photos of Muay Thai Fighter Mia Kang in Mexico

The body positivity advocate was featured in the magazine in 2016 and ’17.

Ananya Panchal

Mia Kang was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico.

SI Swimsuit model and Muay Thai fighter Mia Kang won the brand's model search in 2016 and returned to the publication as a rookie in ’17.

Kang entered the modeling scene at 13 years old and quickly fell victim to unrealistic beauty standards and tried to change her weight by taking drastic and unhealthy measures.

“By the time I was 27, I had a complete breakdown,” she admitted to Into The Gloss. “My breaking point was when I was asked to go on a liquids-only diet for 10 days so I could shrink down—unfortunately, that’s normal in our industry, and I’d done that many times before. This time, for some reason, I was an emotional wreck. I decided I needed some time off. I went to Thailand for a 10-day vacation and ended up moving into a Thai fight camp for nine months.”

The Knockout author has used her growing platform to advocate for body positivity and has been candid about her past struggles with eating disorders and mental health issues.

While in Thailand, she began practicing martial arts, but it was more than just the physical exercise that enticed her—she connected with the philosophical and mental strength aspects of Muay Thai. She forgot all about the latest trending handbags and dedicated herself to training twice a day without worrying how her body would change with newly gained muscle. It was this inner peace that compelled her to return to the U.S. and the modeling industry.

“When I got back, Sports Illustrated called again, and they were so supportive,” she said. “They made me feel that what was most important was the woman that I am, and not what I looked like. Not many people get to really be themselves and be in the public like that.”

Below are nine of our favorite photos from her 2017 photo shoot with Ruven Afanador in Mexico.

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Ananya Panchal

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a NYC-based Lifestyle & Trending News writer at SI Swimsuit. Before joining the Swim team, the Boston University Alum worked for culture & entertainment beats at Bustle, The San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When Ananya is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, she can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast.