Kayla Simmons makes pitch to join Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition

A former college athlete has detailed how her hopes of making Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition were almost ruined by her school.

Growing up in a household surrounded by athletes in Gainesville, Florida, Kayla Simmons knew sports would somehow be a part of her future, but becoming a swimsuit model was something else entirely.

“I didn’t really aspire to be a swimsuit model,” the former Marshall University volleyball player recently told The Post. “I did some modelling when I was younger, and I loved going to the beach and taking pictures.”

With 183,000 Instagram followers, Simmons, who regularly shares stunning bikini snaps, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Camille Kostek and World Cup champion Alex Morgan by becoming a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model.

“I love Sports Illustrated and being an athlete, and also doing what I do now, I thought it was a great opportunity for me,” the 23-year-old Simmons said. “I love their brand and how they empower all body types and all women.”

On June 24, Simmons made her pitch to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit by posting her casting video online. While the clip has already accumulated over 67,000 views, Simmons also got candid about her journey thus far, revealing her dream was nearly derailed.

“Being a former college athlete & growing up around sports has taught me to push myself to the limit,” Simmons captioned the video.

“College athletics was a great experience for me, but it also taught me some valuable lessons. I was told by my school administrators that the pictures I post are inappropriate because of my body, I was even asked to delete my Instagram at one point. I was torn bc I felt I couldn’t embrace my body & play the sport I love. I’ve since learned that you can’t let other people affect how you feel about yourself,” she continued.

Simmons said the experience, which took place going into her junior year of college, made her feel “ashamed.”

“It was kind of shocking I guess cause I was following all the rules of a student-athlete at Marshall,” Simmons said. “They really just made me feel ashamed I guess, of my body. I felt like I had to choose if I wanted to be an athlete or feeling confident and being able to feel beautiful.”

Marshall University Athletics respectfully declined to comment.

Amid struggles, Simmons is grateful for those who have had her back.

“Honestly, my family has been the most supportive of anyone,” Simmons said, adding of her parents, “they’re definitely my biggest support system.”

While Simmons has not yet heard from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, she hopes her story inspires others to not be deterred from achieving their goals.

“I hope that young women just know that it’s okay to just be yourself and feel confident,” Simmons said. “I think you should always stand up for yourself and what you believe in and never let someone make you feel ashamed of your body, and don’t let other people affect how you feel about yourself, and be proud of who you are.”

As for why Simmons has her heart set on joining the Sports Illustrated family: “They make everyone feel important and feel sexy and beautiful, and I love that.”

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.