Sports Illustrated features burkini model

Halima Aden, a Somali-American swimsuit model, will be the first woman wearing a hijab and burkini to appear in the popular swimsuit issue put out by Sports Illustrated, the US sports magazine has announced.

Aden, 21, was photographed at Watamu Beach in Kenya donning a turquoise hijab and a deep blue burkini, a full-length swimsuit favored by some Muslim women. 

'Ladies, anything is possible'

The annual swimsuit issue, which will hit newsstands on May 8, is known for showcasing women in revealing bikinis. Athletes, such as tennis star Maria Sharapova and American skier Lindsey Vonn, and celebrities like Beyonce have been featured in the magazine.

Aden, who is Muslim, was born in Kenya in a refugee camp and moved to the United States when she was 7 years old. In 2016, she became the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. She has also appeared on the cover of British Vogue and on runways at New York Fashion Week.

"Ladies, anything is possible," Aden wrote in an Instagram post. "Being in Sports Illustrated is so much bigger than me. It's sending a message to my community and the world that women of all different backgrounds, looks, upbringings ... can stand together and be celebrated."

dv/cmk (AFP, Reuters)

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