Courtney Conlogue Shares a Sneak Peak of Her ESPN Body Issue Shoot

There’s beauty in being strong and having purpose. In order to conquer your dreams you need to master your craft. Life isn’t about finding yourself but creating yourself.” -Courtney Conlogue via Instagram.

The ESPN Body Issue roster was recently announced, and it revealed that Women’s World #1 Courtney Conlogue would be the lone surfer featured in the 2016 issue. Now, just a few days later, ESPN has shared a sneak preview of the issue, including the photo above of Conlogue. It’s safe to say that if this image is any indicator, Steven Lippmann’s shots of Conlogue are sure to be absolutely stunning.

In addition to releasing the photo, ESPN also released an interview with Conlogue. The piece is a glimpse into the life of the fiercely competitive Conlogue. She shares what it’s like, and what it takes, to compete as one of the world’s best. Conlogue also opens up about how she trains and she emphasizes how physically demanding surfing is, even if some still perceive it to be laid-back, party sport.

However, most poignantly, Conlogue discusses how she’s learned to love her body. Since day one, Conlogue has trained like an athlete. It’s what has made her the strong and successful competitor that she is. However, she reveals this training, at times, lead her to feel insecure. She didn’t look like a model. She had powerful muscles; she didn’t look the way she thought she should for surfing. However, as she’s learned to embrace her body and all that it allows her to do. She shared:

“I like that I’ve made my body for a purpose. For me, there was a long time when I was a little self-conscious because I was an athlete…But I learned to embrace who I am and what I look like as an athlete, to be strong about who I am and feel good about what I am…I’ve fine-tuned how I need to look in order to be the best I can when that jersey goes on and I’m competing.” -Conlogue for ESPN.

Conlogue’s view is empowering, and her honesty is refreshing. No doubt, the Body Issue is an incredible platform, and Conlogue is making the most of it.

The full Body Issue will be available online on July 6th and on newsstands July 8th. You can also find other preview shots from the issue here.