'Sports Illustrated' decided to have curvy women not only in their magazine but on the cover of their magazine. Now, that means size diversity is here, and it's real, and it's not a trend.
Don't let your image, don't let your size, hold you back. If I had let my hips or my jiggly thighs hold me back or the fact that I've got these big heavy breasts, then I would not be where I am today.
Back in Nebraska, I was known as the fat model - the girl who was pretty for a big girl. My body, like my confidence, has been picked apart, manipulated, and controlled by others who didn't necessarily understand it.
I think the simpler the better.
When NYDJ called me and told me that Christie Brinkley was going to be on set with me I freaked out. And when I met Christie, she had a little freak out because she said that her daughter Sailor loved me so much.
Basketball has taught me that no matter how unlikely something is, if you set a goal, and follow after that goal with all your heart, anything is possible.
For me, wearing lingerie isn't about anyone else but me. If I dressed for others I would be a miserable person.
Words have power, and if you are going to use your words negatively, then that is exactly what is going to happen in your life.
I'm giving curvy women a seat at a table that we've never been invited to before - a table with high-end fashion people who have never considered us beautiful.
My fans are incredible. Don't you dare talk bad about me on my Instagram, because my fans will come out, and they will eat you alive.
Curvy models are becoming more and more vocal about the isolating nature of the term 'plus-size.' We are calling ourselves what we want to be called - women, with shapes that are our own.
It doesn't matter what size your hips are when you measure them. It's about, 'Do you feel good and healthy in those hips?'
I really believe that parents need to know they are shaping the future of their children.
For so long, I have been an outsider because of my size. And I think that fashion has always, in some way, catered to celebrities or to a thinner idealistic model.
There are reasons to set boundaries for yourself, but there are also reasons to keep doors open.
'Sexy' is a state of mind, and it can come in all shapes and sizes. It is different for every person.
We need to work together to redefine the global image of beauty and continue to push for a more inclusive world.
I remember being told by my very first photographer that if I lost weight, and I was a skinny model, it would do wonders for my career. My mum got really defensive - 'I don't think we will be doing that, thank you so much, goodbye.'
I'm a woman of faith. And I really believe that if I say, 'God, this is what I want,' He says, 'I'll give you your desires, as long as they line up with My will.'
My father was a master of the cutting insult.
I have been so blessed not only to talk about things that I want to talk about in my industry, but also to have a platform - and people want to hear about it.
Confidence starts at home, and something my mother never did was look in the mirror and say she was ugly or fat.
When you're given an 'SI' cover, and you take advantage of it, you can conquer the world. Look at Chrissy Teigen. Look at Tyra Banks. Look at Kathy Ireland.
Social media has truly helped my career because it has given models a voice. And a voice is something that we want to see a change in the industry.
My theory is that big underwear makes big girls look bigger.
I wasn't put on the cover of 'Sports Illustrated' as a plus-size model; I was put on the cover of 'Sports Illustrated' as a model, as a rookie, as Ashley Graham.
What better time to write a memoir than the big 3-0?
As hard as it is, owning who you are and knowing what you want is the only sure path to affirmation... I want women to know they can get out of any situation if they return to their core source of strength: themselves.
I always felt second best. I was never the prettiest, never the skinniest, never the fastest in my sports. Never the smartest, because I have dyslexia. Then, all of a sudden, people were like, 'You're gorgeous.' And I was like, 'What?'
A lot of bodybuilders have high BMIs. It's not an indication of your overall health. Like, why put more standards on women saying there's a maximum BMI? I just think we need to be healthy, and I am.
As a professional selfie taker, I know my angles. And I know how to look 20 lbs. heavier and 20 lbs. lighter. If Instagram wants to tell me I've lost 60 lbs. in one week, then damn, I look good.
What you see is what you get. I don't change who I am from public to private.
I love my hourglass figure.
Words have power. The things that you say to yourself as a parent - the things that you say maybe even just one time to your children - they take it, and they take it into their real world and into their life and beyond.
Ashley Graham is an American model and television presenter.
