Swimsuit

Muay Thai Fighter Mia Kang Models Colorful Swimwear in These 6 Pics From Mexico

The Model Search winner posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue two years in a row.

Cara O’Bleness

Mia Kang

Mia Kang was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Mexico.

After winning the Model Search in 2016, Muay Thai fighter Mia Kang returned to the fold for her rookie photoshoot the following year. 

While her initial brand feature took place in the Dominican Republic, the British-Swiss model traveled to Mexico for her 2017 photoshoot, where she posed in front of Ruven Afanador’s lens in a number of bright and colorful looks.

In an interview with beauty brand Into the Gloss, Kang noted how supportive the brand was of her over the course of those two years.   

“They made me feel that what was most important was the woman that I am, and not what I looked like,” she told the outlet. “Not many people get to really be themselves and be in the public like that. There are still two different industries—Plus is a whole separate industry. I’m bang in the middle [right now]—I’m like a size 8 or 10, so I get told all the time, ‘You need to either gain or lose weight.’ Why? Exactly. This is my whole point. No one’s ‘too’ anything. Diversity doesn’t just mean having five size 0 girls and then one size 14 girl on the cover of a magazine—that’s not diversity.”

Today, Kang continues to work in the industry and is represented by IMG Models. She uses her platform to further her mission of mental health advocacy while also sharing her story as an eating disorder survivor in the hopes of helping others.

Whether she’s in front of the camera or not, we’re always impressed with Kang. Below are a few of our favorite photos from her rookie feature in Mexico.

Mia Kang
Mia Kang
Mia Kang
Mia Kang
Mia Kang
Mia Kang

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Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.