Model, Mom and Podcast Host Hunter McGrady Dazzled in Belize

The five-time SI Swimsuit star was captured by Yu Tsai for last year’s issue.

Ananya Panchal | Dec 11, 2023

Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit model Hunter McGrady has posed for the brand five separate years. She blows us away on each new location with her beauty, brains and determination to make a real difference in the modeling industry. The Model Search open casting call alumna made her brand debut in 2017, when she was photographed in bodypaint by Josie Clough in Anguilla. She participated in a special in-studio project titled “In Her Own Words” with Taylor Ballantyne for her sophomore photoshoot and returned to the fold the following year for her breathtaking feature on the beaches of Costa Rica.

In ’20, the Southern California native traveled to Bali, and her most recent SI Swimsuit photoshoot was in Belize last year. Her ’22 feature took place just six months postpartum, as she welcomed her baby boy, Hudson, in June ’21. McGrady and her husband, Brian Keys, also have a daughter named Ava, who was born in March.

“I want to put on a swimsuit no matter what my body looks like and show women who are out there that just because we’re moms, it doesn’t mean that we’re not sexy anymore,” she told SI Swimsuit during the magazine’s launch week celebrations last year. “It doesn’t mean that we are less than. Like we can (still) rock a swimsuit.”

Today, the 30-year-old is the cohost of the Model Citizen podcast and cofounder of clothing label All Worthy, which boasts a wide range of sizes from XXS to 5X. She uses her platform to advocate for body diversity and size inclusivity, a mission she has been dedicated to since she began modeling at the age of 19.

Below are five phenomenal photos from McGrady’s 2022 photoshoot with Yu Tsai in Belize.

Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by Andie.

Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by Toluca Swim. Earrings by Cleopatra’s Bling.

Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by Andie. Earrings and necklace by Cleopatra’s Bling.

Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by Andie.

Hunter McGrady was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. Swimsuit by Boohoo.

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Published Dec 11, 2023

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.