Anna Hall made headlines not just for her dominance in track and field but for her groundbreaking appearance in the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Photographed by Ben Horton in the vibrant setting of Boca Raton, the heptathlon star stepped far outside her comfort zone, and discovered a newfound confidence in the process.
For Hall, the experience was transformative.
“It was so far out of my comfort zone at first,” she admitted.
But posing alongside other elite female athletes, including Olympian Gabby Thomas, made the moment even more meaningful.
“I think I am really proud of the magazine for what they were able to put together with all the strong female athletes,” she said.
More than just a photoshoot, this was about representation.
“I think it’s really important for young girls to see strong bodies, see muscles,” Hall reflected.
“To be a part of that representation was great for me because that was probably what I needed to see, too.”
From Self-Doubt to Self-Love
Anna Hall’s journey to self-acceptance hasn’t always been easy. On the podcast Inside the Lines with A. J. Andrews, she opened up about her struggles with body image as a collegiate athlete.
“I think I always really struggled with this dichotomy as a female athlete,” she shared.
“Sometimes people wouldn’t say the nicest things about having muscles, or like, ‘You’re too bulky.’”
But for Hall, strength was non-negotiable.
“I have traps. Like, what’s wrong with the traps?” she laughed.
With the support of her coaches, she learned to embrace her physique, especially as her performance reached new heights.
“I think it was reaching marks that I didn’t know if I would ever reach that kind of made me start to appreciate my body more,” she said.
“Like, okay, it does some pretty cool things.”
A Champion On the World Stage
Fresh off a historic performance at the Hypo-Meeting in Götzis, where she scored a staggering 7,032 points in the heptathlon, tying her for second all-time behind Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Hall is now taking on a new challenge, the 400m hurdles at the Diamond League.
This week, she’s set for back-to-back battles in Oslo and Stockholm where she’ll face off against the world’s best, including Dutch powerhouse Femke Bol. Hall has a season-best of 54.43.
Known for her relentless drive and versatility, Hall continues to prove that she’s a force in any event she enters.
