Latest news with #NicoleWilliamsEnglish
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Canadian SI Swimsuit model Nicole Williams English 'feels the most confident' in her 40s: 'This is my favourite era'
Nicole Williams English is at the top of her game. The Newfoundland native is one of 38 women to be featured in the 2025 SI Swimsuit issue, alongside stars like Salma Hayek Pinault, influencer Alix Earle and fellow Canadian Lauren Chan. The issue, which hits newsstands on May 17, is the third time Williams English has posed for the iconic magazine. She made her Sports Illustrated debut in 2023 when she was seven months pregnant with her daughter, India Moon, whom she shares with husband retired NFL player Larry English. Yahoo Canada spoke to Williams English about achieving her ultimate career goal, balancing work and motherhood and more. Williams English had her sights set on modelling for SI Swimsuit ever since she began modelling at 16. Before making the move to the U.S., the now 41-year-old says she would pack a sleeping bag and a pillow and board a bus from Toronto to New York to attend castings. 'Every time I'd walk through the door, I'd have to talk to myself. I was so nervous. My heart would be pounding,' she recalls. Year after year, she would come within arms reach of her dream, but never gave up hope that she would someday make it into the magazine. 'I really didn't know why it wasn't clicking back then, but now I do. Now that I'm older I look back at myself and I see where I was mentally...I just wasn't ready. I wasn't confident enough,' she says. 'I didn't know myself well enough. I was still trying to keep up with every other model and trying to be like every other model.' But after years of trying to fit in, Williams English had enough. 'I feel like I kind of came into myself and in my early 30s…There was something inside me that was dying to come out. I want to get tattoos. I want to dye my hair red. I want to get a whole bunch of piercings. I want to do what I want to do," she says. In 2015, she joined the cast of the E! reality series WAGS: Los Angeles, where she began to build her personal brand and amass a large online following. As she began moving through the world to the beat of her own drum, the modelling world took notice of her newfound confidence. 'There was a certain point in my life where I was like, I'm just going to dress and do whatever the hell I want,' she says. 'People are going to love it because I'm going to be so confident doing it that nobody will question it.' At 39, a pregnant Williams English received the call she had been waiting for her entire career. 'I thought it was a joke… but then when I hung up, I was like… I see why this is happening for me now,' she says. 'I would do it all over again. I'd make the same mistakes… It brought me to this space where I feel the most confident. I know who I am; I don't follow anybody else. I'm a leader. I truly just want to be that representation of this young girl who has these dreams and makes it all happen for herself.'Williams English is in the wonderful and exhausting trenches of life with a toddler. The model juggles her busy career with swimming lessons and caring for her 2-year-old daughter. Although she admits that it's "not all perfect" she's being careful to make choices that ensure her daughter has a present and happy mother. "Everything I do revolves around her," she says. "When I think about my future and I make decisions… I'm thinking about her future, not my own." Like many moms with young children, she's had to work to find her rhythm. Williams English says she has a newfound urge to take care of herself. "I look at myself and I have a full head of grey hair which I struggle with. It's definitely challenging having this type of career. Being 41 and looking at yourself aging, you're trying to stop the clock and do any anti-aging regimens that you can," she says. "You just have to find the right balance so that you get enough self scary as mom, you want to be there for your child and be healthy. You're worried about ever leaving them on this planet without you." Williams English's wellness journey includes hormone replacement therapy after bloodwork revealed she had low testosterone. "I was very moody. I was snapping at everybody in the morning. I wasn't depressed, but I was just kind of mad - angry at everything. Everything was a catastrophe for me… I was having really bad anxiety," she says. "I was literally crawling out of bed. I was really, really exhausted." Now that she's back on track, she's taking her time and is committed to building a career with staying power. "Slow and steady," she says. In January, Williams English travelled to Jamaica for her third SI Swimsuit photoshoot. Even though she was named Rookie of the Year in 2023, she admits that she never takes the opportunity to pose for the magazine for granted. 'Every year, it's still like the first time. I'm waiting for the call. When you find out you're shooting again… it's so exciting,' she says. 'I don't look at any of this as work. This is truly my passion and what I'm made for. I feel super grateful and super blessed to be in this moment in life where everything is just amazing. My 40s are really amazing right now. This is my favourite era.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Canadian Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Nicole Williams English says she was 'literally crawling out of bed' before starting treatment for low testosterone
Nicole Williams English is back to feeling like herself again. The 41-year-old Canadian model recently told Yahoo Canada that she's prioritizing her health by working out regularly, eating healthfully and continuing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for low testosterone. Williams English, who appears in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, said she began noticing she was extremely run down when her daughter, India Moon, was about 18 months old. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. 'I would get 10 hours of sleep and wake up feeling like I had one-and-a-half hours of sleep. I couldn't open my eyes. I was dizzy, I wasn't feeling myself,' she said. "…I was very moody. I was snapping at everybody in the morning. I wasn't depressed, but I was just kind of mad. Angry at everything. Everything was a catastrophe for me… I was having really bad anxiety.' Williams English's husband, retired NFL player Larry English, put her in touch with a doctor based in Florida who ordered bloodwork and a full hormone panel. The results showed that she was low in testosterone, and would require daily medication to help balance her testosterone levels. 'I thought I would just go to (the pharmacy), get my iron pills, get my D3, but no. Until I did a deep dive and they really looked at my blood, I never would have known," she said. "I was literally crawling out of bed. I was really, really exhausted." Now that Williams English has found a dosage that works for her, she has the energy to keep up with a toddler and continue to grow her career. But what is HRT and how do you know if you have low testosterone? Keep reading to learn more. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is more than just a treatment option for women in menopause. Although HRT gained popularity in the '90s as a form of treatment to help lessen menopause symptoms — which greatly impact a woman's quality of life — its uses are not limited to treating brain fog, hot flashes and other side effects from low estrogen and progesterone. HRT can also be used for women with low testosterone levels. But it's not as straightforward as it may seem. 'Testosterone is a really important hormone in women… but it is one that has been poorly studied and really only focused on niche areas like libido and sexuality,' said Dr. Michelle Jacobson, an OBGYN and co-founder of Coven Women's Health, in an interview with Yahoo Canada. While testosterone does impact women's libido, it also impacts things like mood, energy levels and bone and muscle health, as well as menstrual cycle and fertility. Symptoms of low testosterone in women can include: Decreased libido Anxiety Depression Fatigue Irritability Trouble sleeping Thinning hair Muscle weakness Jacobson, who did not treat Williams English, explained that the lack of quality information and evidence makes it difficult to measure and understand lower levels of testosterone in women, since women already naturally have lower testosterone levels than men. Without sufficient research, there's a gap in understanding what testosterone levels in women mean for their functioning and how they feel. 'We're left with many years of kind of poor evidence that don't really answer the questions that we should have been asking,' Jacobson said. 'So we don't have strong evidence to direct the use of testosterone one way or another.' Although there are currently no Health Canada approved testosterone medications for women in Canada and no federally approved testosterone drugs for women in the U.S., Jacobson said healthcare providers can repurpose and prescribe testosterone medications that are approved for men at much lower doses. HRT for testosterone can be in the form of gels and creams, injections, implanted pellets or oral medications. Although there are benefits to using testosterone HRT for women, there can also be side effects. Potential side effects can include: Acne Oily skin Excess hair growth Weight gain Male pattern baldness Although some side effects are reversible with hormone level adjustment, there are some like deepening of the voice or clitoral enlargement that are permanent. Blood tests can help determine if your hormone levels are low, however Jacobson noted it's important for healthcare providers to consider the patients symptoms and the potential benefits of testosterone HRT. "We really need to figure out a way to meet in the middle in order to attend to not only the patients needs but their quality of life," she said. "So much of medicine ignores quality of life and focuses on what is medically necessary or indicated or contraindicated, but that informs a big part of function and compliance and well being." There are many reasons why women can have low testosterone levels. Testosterone levels naturally begin to drop as women age, particularly around early menopause. However, certain medications, like birth control and acne medications or medications for hair loss can also lower the body's level of free testosterone (testosterone not attached to protein). Women who have had their ovaries surgically removed or who live with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) can also have lower levels of testosterone. There are multiple factors that impact testosterone levels, including lifestyle factors like poor nutrition, sleep deprivation, prolonged stress, substance abuse, alcohol use and smoking. Outside of taking hormone supplements, Jacobson said there are things women can do to help naturally raise testosterone levels. "Things that you can do to help improve your testosterone are to build more muscle mass and eat more protein," she said. "It's sort of a positive reinforcement feedback loop, and that's just outside of taking exogenous (external) testosterone."
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Canadian SI Swimsuit model Nicole Williams English 'feels the most confident' in her 40s: 'This is my favourite era'
Nicole Williams English is at the top of her game. The Newfoundland native is one of 38 women to be featured in the 2025 SI Swimsuit issue, alongside stars like Salma Hayek Pinault, influencer Alix Earle and fellow Canadian Lauren Chan. The issue, which hits newsstands on May 17, is the third time Williams English has posed for the iconic magazine. She made her Sports Illustrated debut in 2023 when she was seven months pregnant with her daughter, India Moon, whom she shares with husband retired NFL player Larry English. Yahoo Canada spoke to Williams English about achieving her ultimate career goal, balancing work and motherhood and more. Williams English had her sights set on modelling for SI Swimsuit ever since she began modelling at 16. Before making the move to the U.S., the now 41-year-old says she would pack a sleeping bag and a pillow and board a bus from Toronto to New York to attend castings. 'Every time I'd walk through the door, I'd have to talk to myself. I was so nervous. My heart would be pounding,' she recalls. Year after year, she would come within arms reach of her dream, but never gave up hope that she would someday make it into the magazine. 'I really didn't know why it wasn't clicking back then, but now I do. Now that I'm older I look back at myself and I see where I was mentally...I just wasn't ready. I wasn't confident enough,' she says. 'I didn't know myself well enough. I was still trying to keep up with every other model and trying to be like every other model.' But after years of trying to fit in, Williams English had enough. 'I feel like I kind of came into myself and in my early 30s…There was something inside me that was dying to come out. I want to get tattoos. I want to dye my hair red. I want to get a whole bunch of piercings. I want to do what I want to do," she says. In 2015, she joined the cast of the E! reality series WAGS: Los Angeles, where she began to build her personal brand and amass a large online following. As she began moving through the world to the beat of her own drum, the modelling world took notice of her newfound confidence. 'There was a certain point in my life where I was like, I'm just going to dress and do whatever the hell I want,' she says. 'People are going to love it because I'm going to be so confident doing it that nobody will question it.' At 39, a pregnant Williams English received the call she had been waiting for her entire career. 'I thought it was a joke… but then when I hung up, I was like… I see why this is happening for me now,' she says. 'I would do it all over again. I'd make the same mistakes… It brought me to this space where I feel the most confident. I know who I am; I don't follow anybody else. I'm a leader. I truly just want to be that representation of this young girl who has these dreams and makes it all happen for herself.'Williams English is in the wonderful and exhausting trenches of life with a toddler. The model juggles her busy career with swimming lessons and caring for her 2-year-old daughter. Although she admits that it's "not all perfect" she's being careful to make choices that ensure her daughter has a present and happy mother. "Everything I do revolves around her," she says. "When I think about my future and I make decisions… I'm thinking about her future, not my own." Like many moms with young children, she's had to work to find her rhythm. Williams English says she has a newfound urge to take care of herself. "I look at myself and I have a full head of grey hair which I struggle with. It's definitely challenging having this type of career. Being 41 and looking at yourself aging, you're trying to stop the clock and do any anti-aging regimens that you can," she says. "You just have to find the right balance so that you get enough self scary as mom, you want to be there for your child and be healthy. You're worried about ever leaving them on this planet without you." Williams English's wellness journey includes hormone replacement therapy after bloodwork revealed she had low testosterone. "I was very moody. I was snapping at everybody in the morning. I wasn't depressed, but I was just kind of mad - angry at everything. Everything was a catastrophe for me… I was having really bad anxiety," she says. "I was literally crawling out of bed. I was really, really exhausted." Now that she's back on track, she's taking her time and is committed to building a career with staying power. "Slow and steady," she says. In January, Williams English travelled to Jamaica for her third SI Swimsuit photoshoot. Even though she was named Rookie of the Year in 2023, she admits that she never takes the opportunity to pose for the magazine for granted. 'Every year, it's still like the first time. I'm waiting for the call. When you find out you're shooting again… it's so exciting,' she says. 'I don't look at any of this as work. This is truly my passion and what I'm made for. I feel super grateful and super blessed to be in this moment in life where everything is just amazing. My 40s are really amazing right now. This is my favourite era.'
