Halima Aden Makes History As The First Model To Wear Hijab On The Cover Of Sports Illustrated

Somali-American model Halima Aden just made history by gracing the pages of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue wearing a hijab and burkini(a wet suit worn by Muslim women). The Kenyan-born model said it was a "dream come true."

Muslim Supermodel Halima Aden is the newest member of Sports Illustrated "Swimsuit family". The iconic magazine said for Aden's swimsuit spread, was shot in her birth country- Kenya. Her photoshoot was shot on Watamu Beach with photographer Yu Tsai.
Aden opened up about what it means for her to be on the cover in an interview with SI.

"Growing up in the states, I never felt represented, because I could never flip through a magazine and see a girl who was wearing a hijab," she said.

She spoke about living in a refugee camp in Kenya until the age of seven. She then moved to Minnesota, where she began making history at a young age as her town's first homecoming queen.


"I keep thinking about 6 year old me who, in this same country, was in a refugee camp. So to grow up to live the American dream, to come back to Kenya and shoot for SI in the most beautiful parts of Kenya – I don't think that's a story that anybody could make up,"

She then went on to become her college's first Muslim-Somali student senator. "After that, I remember thinking, 'What next?' And that's when I came across the Miss Minnesota USA pageant." She was the first to wear a hijab in the context in 2016.

She shared her photoshoot on Instagram and wrote: "Don't change yourself .. Change the GAME!! Ladies anything is possible!!!"