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Ashley Callingbull has become the first Indigenous woman to model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
The casting call for models received thousands of submissions, and on International Women's Day, Callingbull was announced as one of the 14 finalists in the 2022 Sports Illustration Swim Search program.
While speaking to Global News from the Dominican Republic on March 10, the model revealed that she found out about the news at 6.00 am in the morning not even a week ago while she was in bed.
She arrived in the Dominican Republic on March 8 and instantly started off with her fittings.
What is Ashley Callingbull's age?
Born on October 21, 1989, Ashley Callingbull is currently 32 years of age. She is among the most diverse panels that Sports Illustrated has featured on its pages till date.
During the same interview with Global News, Callingbull revealed that she started crying when she heard the news and actually thought that she was "dreaming."
"And then finding out I’m the first Plains Cree First Nations woman — wow. It’s just still so surreal to me. I’m still in shock. I’m just so proud."
She said that not only is her achievement breaking a lot of barriers, but it is also an opportunity for other Indigenous women to feel comfortable and shine in the highly competitive space. She stated:
“Being the first is great but knowing that I’m not the last is the most important thing for me.”
The model and activist is also the only Canadian to appear in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue this year. Ashley Callingbull also explained that the cover model for the issue will be chosen through a vote.
"It’s really exciting and I hope Canada is there for me to vote and support me. I want to represent my people and I want to represent my country."
The 32-year-old activist comes from the Enoch Cree Nation, a band government in Alberta, Canada, which is located slightly west of Edmonton.
A professional dancer who has studied tap, ballet, jazz, and pointe, she also appeared in the prestigious Nutcracker ballet.
In addition to this magazine issue, she also won her first Mrs Universe title in August 2015, making her the first Canadian and Indigenous woman to do so.
In 2016, the model and her stepfather participated in an adventure reality show titled The Amazing Race Canada.
Apparently, Callingbull is 1.8 meters tall and has been married to Wacey Rabbit, a Native Canadian who used to play professional ice hockey, since 2021.
