2k22's Hottest Summer Bods of Sports & Entertainment 8

Emiah Downey

Emiah Downie

A product of Green Acres, Florida, Emiah Downie played two seasons of college basketball at Thomas University from 2019-21. In her second season she averaged a career high of 8.3 points. She's currently attending Florida A&M and concentrating on her entrepreneurial skills as a hair stylist. You can see her work at @sennoviaaa on Instagram.

Jadyn Mays

Jaydn Mays is coming off of an All-American season at Oregon. She was a champion in the PAC-12 in the 400-meter relay. Mays qualified for and competed at the NCAA Championships in the 100 meters and 400-meter relay. She earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter relay with teammates Kemba Nelson, Jamin Reed and Jasmine Montgomery.

Promise Cross

Promise Cross is a multi-event athlete in the sport of track and field. She previously competed at University of Toledo but is now headed to Florida Atlantic. Cross is looking to become a world-renowned model following her collegiate career.

Winners Only: Hey there Promise. First off what a name. Tell the readers about where it comes from?

Promise Cross: Hey! Thank you so much! My mom chose it because she felt God had made her a promise with me!

You've started your career at Toledo and are now headed to Florida Atlantic. How is the process of transferring going with you?

I don’t want to say it’s been the easiest process, but it’s not been too difficult either. Florida is somewhere I’ve known I’ve always wanted to live and starting off at UT just gave me the opportunity to get my times down and make that a reality. I have family all around me here in Florida as well which makes the process a lot easier, so right now I would say it’s going pretty well!

We're here to talk about body positivity. What's the biggest challenge in keeping your body in the shape that it is in and what's are some of the sacrifices you have to make to maintain your desired look?

I think a lot of it comes from my genes as both of my parents were athletes growing up and so that has always been such a huge portion of my life. But being a track athlete in general, I believe creates such a beautiful body considering the balance of muscle and physique it requires. For me I would say the biggest hardship would be teaching myself not to overeat but also eating foods that increase my energy levels as opposed to eating junk food that simply satisfies my hunger at a moment. Being consistent in that I feel is the hardest part yet offers the biggest reward & what I would advise to other athletes who have some of the same struggles as me.

What led to the desire to become a model and what's your plans with that?

My plan is to become one of the most famous models in the world. I think one of the most beautiful things about this generation is that we are learning to accept all body types and at the same time praise them for being different. Understanding that you don’t have to look like the “beauty standard” to be beautiful is a mindset I have to keep every single day in order to chase my dreams. I think the desire came from my older sister who started modeling before me. I kind of got an insight to what that career would look like and I instantly fell in love with it, yet rejected it at the same time because I didn’t feel I was “pretty” enough. While I have had only a few opportunities to runway model, I see my future is bright and filled with more.

Let's wrap this up by talking a little track and field. You're a multievent athlete. Tell us the mentality it takes to be successful at that endeavor.

My little sister has always told me, “If you don’t have your mind, you have nothing.” I keep that with me when I compete. It takes a strong mind to keep going when your body constantly feels defeated, which happens often when you compete in seven events in two days. The preparation beforehand is key which is a lesson I’m learning now. But for me, I believe you will only go as far as you believe you can. When you tell yourself you can’t do something then that’s the end of it and if for some reason you truly can’t find the confidence it takes, fake it.

You're an amazing young woman and everyone is gonna find out very soon. Thanks for participating.

Thank you so much! And thanks for asking me I really appreciate it!