NEED TO KNOW
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Camille Kostek opens up about the pressure she faced early in her modeling career in the first episode of PEOPLE's new series. «WAG World» , which will be released on Thursday, May 28.
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Nine-time magazine star Sports Illustrated Swimsuit She shared how living «without scales» influenced her worldview.
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Now she prides herself on being an example to others, showing them how to accept themselves for who they really are, despite societal expectations.
Kamil Kostek remains true to herself.
The 34-year-old star is a nine-time participant in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit competition spoke frankly in the new PEOPLE series "« WAG World» about the years of industry pressure she faced while trying to lose weight early in her career as a rising modeling star.
«"I almost gave up on modeling," Kostek tells host Skyler Caruso in the first episode of the series, which features partners of famous athletes discussing their lives, careers, and what it's like to build relationships both on and off the court.
SI Swimsuit 2026: Botswana's Camilla Kostek. Photo: Ruven Afanador
The model, who is in a long-term relationship with NFL legend Rob Gronkowski, has been named the winner of the competition. SI Swimsuit Model Search 2018 and received the coveted spot on the cover SI Swimsuit 2019 in her debut year, taking part in a photo shoot on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
«"At 27, when I was on the cover, I was constantly told 'no,' 'you need to lose weight,' 'you need to reduce the size of your thighs, your butt, your biceps,'" she says—criticism she found difficult to understand because of her upbringing.
Kostek, the daughter of Christina and Alan Kostek, recalls growing up in a positive environment that encouraged self-love and body positivity.
«"My mom was always very lenient. I grew up in a house without scales," she shares, noting that the "comparison game" hadn't yet begun when she was in high school because social media, with its bottomless content, wasn't as prevalent back then as it is today.
Camille Kostek visited the WAG World set to film the debut episode of the new digital series PEOPLE, hosted by Skyler Caruso. Photo: Astrid Staviarz
The first rejections at modeling shoots related to her appearance made her internally ask herself: «But why is this not enough?» - until the opportunity to work with SI Swimsuit did not give her self-confidence by allowing her to accept herself as she is, without adapting to the desires of others.
«"For me SI Swim "It's a validation that you're good enough," she says. "I didn't realize the impact it would have… that my appearance on the cover, just the way I was—without over-preparing, training, or under-eating—would help other people reach their potential.".
«I remember being particularly attracted to the magazine SI Swimsuit, "Because it allowed me to see something in myself at such a young age," Kostek continues. "I remember starting to embrace my hips and curves at 15 thanks to the women I saw in that magazine.".
Now Kostek is proud to be herself, regardless of her nature, to show this to the next generation of girls who look up to her.
Camille Kostek performs as a New England Patriots cheerleader at the 2015 Super Bowl. Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty
«"It was the most rewarding experience," she says. "On the surface, I'm just a bikini model... but it also allowed me to embrace myself as a woman.".
This year, the prototype appeared in the issue for the ninth time. SI Swimsuit . Now, as she says in WAG World , she pays more attention to psychological preparation than physical, as it was in her youth.
Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek. Photo: TheStewartofNY/Getty
«"It's not so much about preparation as it is about having the mindset of, 'Camille, you are good enough just the way you are,'" she says. "As a big sister and a big sister to the internet, you're born ready, baby. You're ready. You're always ready, and if you're not ready now, you probably won't be ready tomorrow.".
She concludes: "Life is so short, and our days are numbered. Just get up and go out, live and enjoy it, it's not that serious. That's all.".
Read the original article on People.