Vonn on body paint pic: ‘Athletic women can be beautiful’

“Even when I was on set I never stopped training…now it’s back to work though,” she wrote in part on Instagram.

But the social media post documenting the shoot didn’t simply demonstrate Vonn’s remarkable work ethic. The video and the photographs taken that day — and those subsequently featured in the “Swimsuit Issue” — sent a far more significant message that should resonate as well, says Vonn.

“It’s showing that strong, athletic women can be beautiful and it’s not just skinny models,” she said, via the Toronto Sun. “There’s a lot of different body types in this world and everyone is beautiful in their own way.”

Vonn — who also appeared in the 2010 edition of the wildly popular annual issue — did admit, however, the Caribbean island photo shoot in November necessitated her to summon all her courage simply to get through it.

“It definitely was hard for me to have the self-confidence to do something like that but I got over it and I’m learning to be more comfortable in my own skin,” she said.