Super tough marine switches careers and is now a lads mag cover girl (2024)

Shannon Ihrke was a super tough Marine and during her gruelling time in the military says she very much felt like "one of the guys".

But the stunning 29-year-old has swapped life on the front line for life in front of the camera as a successful bikini model and lads mag cover girl.

After joining the US Marines aged just 19, Shannon served on active duty for four years.

She served as an administrative specialist and says joining the military was the "best decision of her life"

Shannon explained: "I pushed my body harder than I could have ever imagined and I learned to remain calm and collected in the midst of chaos.

"I became part of something that was bigger than myself and I loved it.

"Some Marines fight for our politicians, but most, do not. We fight for our families, our friends, and most of all-for our brothers and sisters to the left and right of us in uniform.

"We join for the people that fought before us, the people that will fight after us, and even the ignorant people that don't know how to be quiet when our National Anthem plays.

"We are the President's Own and that's something that no one can ever take away from us."

But now she has ditched her combat gear to amass 65,000 Instagram followers were her stunning bikini and lingerie shots.

Shannon also regularly posts pictures of her home life riding horses and wearing cowboy boots.

And the blonde beauty says her Marine background helped to shape her modelling career.

She said: "People automatically take me seriously and know that I have a great work ethic.

"In the military I was always concerned about being the best I could be for my brothers and sisters in arms.

"In the modelling world you really have to push yourself to success because no one is going to do it for you, you have to go out and get it yourself."

She says the military consumed her life and also help her accomplish everything she had dreamed of.

The model said: "I became a Sergeant, I traveled, and thanks to the GI Bill, I have my bachelors degree in Science from Elmhurst College.

"I owe the Marine Corps my life, hands down. It gave me a reason to wake up, push myself, set goals, and to push myself even harder when things got tough.

"Had I not had other dreams I still wanted to accomplish in my life I would have re-enlisted without hesitation... and although I am no longer on active duty, I will always bleed green.

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world.

"But, the Marines don't have that problem."

The US Marines is very much traditionally a man's world, but Shannon says she had no problems fitting in.

She said: "As a female in the Marine Corps you have to work twice as hard as the men in order to feel like their equal.

"A lot of the Marines initially thought that I might not be able to keep up physically, or that I somehow wasn't "as strong" as them so I made it my mission to prove them wrong.

"I came in guns blazing in order to show that I wasn't someone that could be pushed around, brushed off, or not taken seriously.

"It was hard but it was also completely necessary."

However the hard work paid off and the Shannon said the camaraderie between her follow marines was one of the greatest rewards of serving.

She added: "You gain a new family when you become a Marine.

"You live together, eat together, workout together, hang out in your spare time together, fight with each other, and yet you'll still do anything for each other, whether you like each other or not."

But Shannon doesn't regret her change of career, although she says some of the people she used to serve with are still getting used to the change.

She added: "Modelling has given me a chance to feel feminine and sexy.

"When I was in the Marine Corps I very much felt like one of the guys.

"I did my best to blend in with the Marine around me, I didn't want to stand out just because I was a female.

"I wanted to stand out because I was a stellar Marine.

"However some Marines still find it a little odd, she has had comments such as 'I can't believe the Marine who used to yell at me to clean my room is on the cover of Maxim'.

Her military background also helps Shannon stay in shape.

She has a gruelling workout routine which includes long runs and hitting the gym at least four days a week.

But Shannon refuses to diet because she loves food too much.

She explained: "My favourite foods include prime rib, bananas foster, french silk pie, and I've been known to crave a Big Mac or too.

"I do a lot of cooking and baking. My specialties include biscuits and gravy, BBQ pulled chicken, caramel brownies, and stuffed mushrooms."

And what advice would Shannon give people who want to follow her into the world of modelling.

She said: "Don't ever stop pushing yourself, and don't ever stop trying to get better and become a better person overall.

"That's how I got where I am today. I said, "I'm going to be the best person I can possibly be and nothing is going to stop me.

"I stick to my gut feelings, I don't listen to negativity, and I surrounded myself with people who truly have my best interest at heart.

"I constantly work at improving myself in every aspect.

"If a little redneck girl from Walker, Minnesota can become a Marine and also successfully model, than the skies truly are the limit."

Super tough marine switches careers and is now a lads mag cover girl (2024)
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