“It wasn’t something I dreamed about,” King told People, “but it was one of the highlights of all the things I’ve done because I never thought this would be possible.”

Prior to accepting, she consulted a few trustworthy people in her life.

“I consulted my kitchen cabinet, which is daughter, Kirby, son, Will and Oprah,” she said, “And Oprah was like, ‘You and I have two very different ideas of fun always,’ but she said, ‘But it seems like something you would really enjoy.’ And Kirby and Will were like, ‘Go for it. Go for it.’”

Once she decided to go through with the photoshoot she set a few ground rules. She wasn’t going to starve herself and she didn’t want any retouching of her photos, except for “a few dimples on her thighs.”

“My grandmother said to me [when I was little], ‘Mother nature was not as kind to you as she was to other little girls. Maybe you need to start wearing makeup.’ I just never saw myself this way.”

She added, “I know what I look like before I go into hair and makeup, so it’s hard for me to go from that to [the cover]. That’s something I have to process myself.”

King had nothing to worry about.

When she arrived at the photo shoot in Mexico, she said photographer Yu Tsai made her feel like “Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry all rolled into one.”

“I felt so comfortable and cared for that I didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious.”

“I never in a million years thought I would be standing here in a bathing suit for Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], but here I am, which says to me that sometimes people can dream, God can dream, the universe can dream a bigger dream than you can ever think for yourself,” King told Sports Illustrated. “I would have never thought this was possible. This was nowhere on my bucket list. So I’m thinking maybe it was a dream that I didn’t even know I wanted because now that I’m here, I want it bad.”

Gayle looks amazing! I think it’s wonderful how Sports Illustrated showcases all different ages, body types, and races in their issue. We’re not all the same, and everyone deserves to be represented.