This year, Anna Hall made waves far beyond the track when she debuted in the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, photographed by Ben Horton in the sunny setting of Boca Raton. For the multi-talented heptathlete, it was more than just a photo shoot—it was a defining personal moment. “It was so far out of my comfort zone at first,” she admitted, but the experience turned out to be deeply rewarding. Not only did it tick off a few personal goals, but it also helped her step into a space she once struggled to claim. One of those goals? Posing alongside other strong, powerful female athletes. The 2025 issue featured Olympians like Gabby Thomas, a detail that meant a lot to Anna.

 “I think I am really proud of the magazine for what they were able to put together with all the strong female athletes,” Anna said. But there was something even more personal at play. “I think it’s really important for young girls to see strong bodies, see muscles,” she said. “To be a part of that representation was great for me because that was probably what I needed to see that, too.” Those words speak volumes about her journey. Behind the confidence, she now exudes a more complicated history—one filled with insecurity, doubt, and gradual transformation.

On the podcast Inside the Lines with A. J. Andrews, Anna opened up about her evolving relationship with body image. In college, she didn’t always feel at ease in her own skin. “I think I always really struggled with this like dichotomy as a female athlete,” she shared. “Sometimes people wouldn’t say the nicest things about having muscles, or like you’re too bulky and I don’t wanna lift, like I don’t wanna get big traps.” But for Anna, avoiding muscle wasn’t even an option.

“I have traps. Like what’s wrong with the traps,” the Denver native laughed. Instead of shying away from her build, she decided to embrace it—with help from her coaches. “We kind of had to do some work there,” she recalled. “And then I think the whole process of like putting on a bunch of muscle, I still was kind of fighting it in my head.” The turning point? Performance. 

As Anna Hall’s training intensified and her body got stronger, her results began to speak louder than the critics. “I think it was like reaching marks that I didn’t know if I would ever reach that kind of made me just start to appreciate my body more of like, okay, it does some pretty cool things,” she added. From doubt to self-celebration, Anna Hall’s journey is more than an athletic success story—it’s a message to every girl who’s ever second-guessed her strength. By standing tall in Sports Illustrated, muscles and all, she’s not just representing women in sport—she’s rewriting what strength looks like. And this strength will be visible in a few days. 

Anna Hall is going to face a sheer opponent in a few days 

Anna Hall is taking her talents to Europe—and she’s not easing into it. The American star is set for back-to-back battles in the 400m hurdles at two major Diamond League stops: Oslo on Thursday and Stockholm on Sunday.

Fresh off a historic performance at the Hypo-Meeting in Götzis, where she racked up a jaw-dropping 7032 points in the heptathlon, Hall is riding high. That mark ties her for second on the all-time heptathlon list, just behind the legendary Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Now, she’s ready to take that momentum to the track—and onto a new challenge.

In Oslo, Hall will sharpen her hurdles form before heading to Stockholm’s Bauhaus Galan Diamond League meet, where she’ll line up against the world’s best, including the indomitable Femke Bol. With a season-best of 54.43 in the 400mH, Hall has her sights set on more than just a solid showing—she’s gunning for a statement.

Known for her grit, versatility, and fearless racing style, Hall is proving once again that she’s not just a heptathlete—she’s a contender in any event she enters. Two cities. One weekend. One rising star ready to light up the European circuit.