Best 53 quotes of Ashley Graham on MyQuotes

As a model, I'm used to having my body scrutinized, and I have a tough skin so I can shake it off. I know I'm the only person that gets to decide how my body should look.

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.

Basketball really is a metaphor for life - the intangible skills I have learned on the court, have helped shape the person I am today.

Christie Brinkley told me that I needed to become a movie star because I have that something, and then we actually just became friends on set. She has such a young spirit, and is so vivacious. It was such a fun, fun shoot.

College basketball was one of the hardest, most rewarding experiences of my life. Every single day on the court was a mental and physical challenge.

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.

Everyone wants to be an "expert" on social media and share their opinion behind the keyboard.

For me, I don't do nip or bush. I won't do it. And that's because I talk to numerous young women in high school and I talk to them about owning who they are, and not giving up their sexuality because they have to.

Growing up I didn't have curvy role models, mainly because I didn't see enough curvy women represented in major ads.

I actually love modeling clothing and showing women that clothing and style can help your confidence shine.

I always say wear what makes you feel most confident, and confidence doesn't always come over night.

I am always being asked to gain or lose weight, but I am at a point now where I don't care anymore. I love my body, I love my super-hourglass shape and I love showing it off.

I didn't even think about hiding anything - I honestly went into it [with the idea that] I'm going to show myself off because no one of my size has ever been in this magazine [Sports Illustrated] and I need other women to know that they are just as beautiful.

I don't like to use the words "real women," honestly. I like to use the word woman. And I say that because there are so many women out there who are naturally thin, or are naturally curvy, and I think when we start putting a label on the type of woman it gets misconstrued and starts to offend people. At the end of the day we just all want to be known as women or models or actresses or whatever.

I don't want women to hold themselves back. I think there are too many women who are self-conscious about the way they look - the way they see themselves in the mirror.

If a plus-size woman is not represented in fashion or on TV, what the hell are we doing?

I feel like we have to have [plus size models] as soon as possible. We're the norm. We're the majority.

I felt free, once I realized i was never going to fit the narrow mold that society wanted me to fit in.

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. People want the change; people want the difference; people want to know what's going on. People want to see themselves in the industry that for so long has ostracized girls of my size.

I hear that players tend to burn out of basketball, but I absolutely never had that experience myself. There were many times in my life where I got cut from a team I wanted to make, or didn't get playing time in high school, and even into college. But setbacks always inspired me to work harder, spend more time in the gym, play more, learn more, and watch more basketball.

I know my curves are sexy and I want everyone else to know that theirs are too. There is no reason to hide and every reason to flaunt.

I'll always remember the phrase of my husband: "Racism is never surprising, but it is always disappointing." Anytime I see it or I feel it, that quote comes back. This is something that has to be constantly talked about in order to be changed.

I'm going to be pulling my pants up all day, and I'm just going to have a terrible day. Because if your clothes don't fit, just like bras or anything, it's not a good day.

I might sound like a crazy person, but that's the way I pump myself up. You know how some people are just like 'I have to talk about it'? Sometimes I'll call my husband and we'll talk about it, sometimes I have to talk to myself in the mirror. So I start talking to myself: 'You got this. Don't think of this as Sports Illustrated, just think about this as the best swimsuit campaign you've done in your life. And just kill it and own it and don't put that pressure on yourself.'

It doesn't matter if you're a size 2 or 22, you can be healthy as long as you're taking care of your body, working out, and telling yourself 'I love you' instead of taking in the negativity of beauty standards.

I think knowing you're not alone is important. This generation is already better at standing up for themselves, saying, "No! You're not going to treat me like that. My standards are higher." But we can provide more education through stories. Just because someone who is older or with more authority says you have to do something, there's no reason you need to. One good thing is that there are new rules about how old you can be on set - more regulations. I think those are good.

I think that the work that's left to be done - and I see the end in sight at this point - is to just let go and stop talking about it. It's definitely 'stop talking about the whole size thing.' I don't go to my girlfriend's house and say, 'Hey, I'm your big friend, let's talk about big things.' It's not a topic of conversation within my friend group - I'm ready for society, Hollywood, the press, magazines, everyone, to just catch up and say, 'These women are just like the women we've been using for so long. Let's just throw them into the mix and stop talking about it.'

It's really important that we stop body shaming people online and on social media. The rude comments under pictures, comparing women in "who looks better" posts - all that does is force us to judge each other. It only sets us back and women, now more than ever, need to empower each other.

I've learned a lot about fashion through modeling, but you know what they say, mother knows best. She used to tell me, "Your shoes, bags and belt better match before you walk out the door." I love her, but I don't necessarily agree with that advice anymore!

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. This is exactly where we're headed, and yes, there are so many more things we need to do in the curve/plus-size industry.

I was the first size 14 model to be featured in an ad in the magazine,I was the first size 14 model on the cover!

Love yourself. Be proud of who you are.

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.

Since I first started playing basketball, I have just loved it, and nothing has ever made me lose that love.

Some people might only recognize me half naked in my bikini and bra!

Some styles don't look good on bigger women.

There is no reason to hide and every reason to flaunt.

There is not one standard definition of beauty or one perfect size.

There's no such thing as being perfect, and that doesn't just mean the perfect body. I talk about my body, my relationship with food, men, and sleeping around to find love, my relationship with my family - trials and tribulations. I want people to know they're not alone. And this isn't just about people younger than 30. I have fans who are 30 or 40 telling me, This is exactly what I needed to hear.

The sense of pride I take away from doing something I know will be inspire women to feel confident about their bodies.

The SI Swim cover was life changing, not just for myself but for women everywhere who've been told they can't do something because of their size. Body positivity is no longer a side conversation, it's mainstream.

We are lucky to live in a world made up of so many different kinds of people and I am confident in the direction we are going.

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.

Who doesn't want to be comfortable all day long?

Don’t fall into the trap of sacrificing your self-esteem for affection and acceptance. No matter what your size, you are a sexy goddess. Remember that.

I also need to honor myself for working so hard, and that means treating the money I earn with respect.

I am more than my measurements. The cycle of body-shaming needs to end. I’m over it… My body is MY body. I’ll call the shots.

No matter how beautiful or not one is perceived to be, the true beauty we all possess is found on the inside. That should be our focus and the measure by which we are judged. How do we move through life? What other lives have we touched? Who have we confronted with love? How have we changed the world for the better? Those are all qualities that can’t be countered or weighed. Really, beauty beyond size.

The bond between food and me is like other relationships in my life: complicated, evolving, demanding, and in need of constant work. But together we’ve come so far, moving from my childhood obligation to clean my plate, to a mindless need to fill up, to a truly nourishing and pleasurable exchange. That’s the real reward.

The Internet is a funny place, because it’s a forum for so many awful ideas, body shaming, bullying, and the like. The negative side of social media is that everybody thinks they’re experts with the right to weigh in on. Yet, at the same time, the Internet is a place where women can find solidarity, no matter who or where they are.