Plus-sized model unknowingly becomes magazine's cover star -- and makes history

Plus-sized models have been making waves in recent media. Although fitness magazines have been slower to recognize the various body types of today's women, Women's Running magazine changed that this month.

Eighteen-year-old Erica Schenk is featured as the cover girl of this month's edition of the magazine, making her the first plus-sized model to be featured on the cover of a fitness magazine. Even the model herself was stunned and surprised.

Erica told E! News:

%shareLinks-quote="I had no idea I was going to be on the cover! I was told afterwards [after her photo shoot] that I would be on the cover." type="quote" author="Erica Schenk" authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%

The magazine made this move with the intention of expanding the definition of what it means to be a woman -- and even more, what it means to be a runner.

"I'm not wearing loose-fitting clothes, to say the least," she said. "At first it made me a bit uncomfortable but then I had to realize I can't help other women accept who they are without doing the same for myself."

Schenk posted on her Instagram to celebrate her new cover:

Which magazine would you like to see feature a plus-sized model? Leave your answer in the comments below.

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