Athletes come in all shapes and sizes, and ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue makes that clearer than ever.
Two of the most eye-catching athletes featured in the annual edition, which comes hits newsstands on Friday, are 23-year-old professional surfer Coco Ho and 275-pound first baseman Prince Fielder.
The Rangers first baseman was one of six athletes featured on different versions of the cover of the magazine. His bulky frame made him one of the more interesting choices. The five other athletes were Venus Williams, Michael Phelps, Jamie Anderson, Marshawn Lynch and Serge Ibaka.
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Fielder, who is a vegetarian, discussed his pride in becoming a five-time All-Star after being doubted for so long because of his size.
“A lot of people probably think I’m not athletic or don’t even try to work out or whatever, but I do,” Fielder said. “Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you can’t be an athlete. And just because you work out doesn’t mean you’re going to have a 12-pack. I work out to make sure I can do my job to the best of my ability. Other than that, I’m not going up there trying to be a fitness model.”
Ho may be one of the lesser-known athletes shot for the magazine, but is highly accomplished. She grew up in a surfing family and is one of the top ranked women in the sport.
“My uncle Derek was the first male Hawaiian world champ. My dad was a two-time Triple Crown [winner] — that’s like our world title here in Hawaii,” Ho told the magazine. “My brother has been competing for as long as I have. Having everyone in surfing was nothing but support — and good advice.”
Despite appearing nude in the magazine, Ho seemed bothered she is judged more on her looks than on her performances.
“Especially in surfing, because we’re in bikinis all day, we’re really critiqued,” Ho told the magazine. “After a competition, social media will just be talking about who looked better in a bikini instead of who surfed better. It’s not even about the results anymore, so much is body. And that’s really frustrating at times.”