Denise Austin was stunned when Sports Illustrated Swimsuit asked if she would walk down the runway in a bikini

The fitness icon joined her daughter, SI Swim model Katie Austin, at the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show in July. The mother and daughter proudly rocked two pieces on the catwalk for the live broadcast show at the W South Beach pool in Miami Beach, Florida.

"At first, I thought, ‘Am I really doing this? Are you kidding me? In a bikini at age 65?’" Denise Austin chuckled. "But how exhilarating that was! It was this amazing, natural high. It was an honor that they even asked me. And then to do this with my daughter made it even more special. It was the highlight of my life to walk the runway with my daughter. I’m still not over it."

The former gymnast shared that her daughter, 28, has been an inspiration to her.

"It brought tears to my eyes [when I first saw her in SI]," Austin explained. "I was just so proud of her. She’s just the sweetest person with the biggest heart. And she’s a hard worker. She tried out for it three different years through Swim Search, so it’s not like this was given to her. And I’m just so proud because this has been a dream of hers. I remember seeing Christie Brinkley and Kathy Ireland on the cover and thinking how that was such a big deal. So it’s amazing to see my daughter in the magazine. And she will now always be a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model."

For more than 30 years, Austin has been encouraging people to kick off an active lifestyle through her workout routines. She has sold more than 24 million exercise videos and DVDs. She also led the longest-running fitness show in TV history. She is still bursting with energy and enthusiasm while doing a "total body burn cardio" or training to be "lean, toned and totally fit" – all with a megawatt smile.

"Shoes are the most important thing you need whether you’re walking or doing any form of fitness," she explained. "When Easy Spirit asked me to collaborate, I was so excited, because I love their shoes, but I also wanted to make a more fun style with benefits. One shoe is great for power walking that’s also very lightweight… the other is for walking fast or running. I created both styles, but I walk at least 35 minutes a day. I wanted something where I can go out and walk my dog, casually wear to Pilates, or just for running errands. I’m always in athletic wear, so it made sense."

Austin said that low-impact workouts often get overlooked, but there are plenty of benefits for those needing some motivation.

Link to story: https://bikininewsdaily.com/bnd/DeniseAustinwasstunnedwh-3291

Kathy Ireland opens up about experiences with 'predators' in fashion

Kathy Ireland, in an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, shared her thoughts on the #MeToo movement and the crisis of predators in the fashion industry, which also inspired much of her new book Fashion Jungle.

According to Ireland, Fashion Jungle, which she also calls a “cautionary tale,” is based on her experiences in the fashion industry, including the experiences of other women she has come across in her career.

The former supermodel was seen as a fashion darling in the 1980s and ‘90s, gracing the covers of major magazines like Vogue and the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. But according to Ireland, there was a dark side to that seemingly glamorous life.

“Working in the fashion industry, we see those glossy magazine covers, the retouched photos,” she said. “We don't always see what happens behind the scenes ... I quickly learned that not all adults were good people, like my parents. There was an incident where a photographer did not respect my ‘no,’ he crossed a boundary with me and it was in regards to what he wanted me to wear. I punched him and walked out of there.”

Ireland also recounted another scary experience when she was working in Milan as a teenager and found a strange man waiting for her in the lobby of her hotel. The man tried to convince her to leave the hotel with him, and she later found out that this was not an uncommon occurrence and that if she had left with him, the consequences would have been dire.

“They called them playboys, he wasn’t a playboy, he was a predator. It begins with elaborate dinners. They were seeking to get the girls into their villas, get the girls hooked on drugs and then start selling them in the sex slave trade and many of these girls we don't see them again and it's heartbreaking,” Ireland remembered.

The model added that she’s in awe of the scores of women speaking out against abuse.

“The #MeToo movement is powerful, it empowers people to speak out and I am grateful for their courage because I know what a lot of these young girls go through,” Ireland said.

Link to story: https://bikininewsdaily.com/bnd/KathyIrelandopensupabout-1107