Mia Kang Biography: Ex-Boyfriend, Weight, Age, Height, Parents, Siblings, Net Worth

Mia Kang is a renowned British-Swiss fashion model, Muay Thai fighter, body-confidence advocate, and television host, celebrated for her transformative journey from overcoming childhood bullying and eating disorders to becoming a prominent figure in the modeling industry.

She rose to international fame after winning the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model search, making her debut as a rookie in 2017, and has since modeled for brands like Guess, Levi’s, and Victoria’s Secret while promoting body positivity through her memoir Knockout (2020).

Kang’s advocacy for healthy body image and her professional Muay Thai career have made her a symbol of resilience and empowerment in both fashion and combat sports.

Profile

• Full Name: Mia Kang
• Stage Name: Mia Kang
• Born: December 30, 1988
• Age: 36 years old
• Birthplace: Hong Kong
• Nationality: British-Swiss
• Occupation: Model, Muay Thai Fighter, Body Confidence Advocate, Television Host
• Height: 1.78m
• Parents: Mr. Kang and Mrs. Kang
• Siblings: 4
• Boyfriends: Will Estes (ex)
• Children: None
• Relationship: Single
• Net Worth: $1 million

Early Life and Education

Mia Kang was born on December 30, 1988, in Hong Kong, to a British father, a physicist at Oxford University, and a South Korean mother.

She grew up with four older half-siblings, two half-sisters from her father’s previous relationship with a Taiwanese woman, and two half-brothers from her mother’s previous marriage to another British man. However, they lived in different parts of the world during her childhood.

Raised in Hong Kong, Kang attended the Island School. In this international institution, she faced bullying for her mixed heritage and overweight appearance, feeling caught between Asian and Western social groups.

She later pursued higher education at the University of Bristol, earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and economics, followed by a master’s degree in finance and financial law from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Her ethnicity is mixed British-Korean, and her religious beliefs are unknown.

Career

Mia Kang began her career at age 13 after overcoming childhood obesity through dance lessons, which led her dance teacher to recommend modeling; she quickly booked her first gig and worked across Asia and Europe for brands like Levi’s during high school and college.

Despite early success, including covers for the Hong Kong editions of Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, she paused modeling after graduation to pursue finance, working as a commodities trader and derivatives consultant in London, feeling stifled in the corporate world before deciding to give modeling another chance.

In 2015, she signed with Trump Model Management. She relocated to New York City, landing her breakthrough with a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue assignment, where she won the 2016 model search and debuted as a 2017 rookie, making her the first model from Hong Kong to achieve this milestone.

Kang’s path took a pivotal turn amid struggles with eating disorders and industry pressures to maintain an unattainable thinness, leading her to take a break in Thailand in 2016, where she discovered Muay Thai during a training session that extended into a six-month intensive camp.

This not only helped her develop healthy habits and gain muscle but also inspired her advocacy work; she trained under experts like Saenchai, competed in her first professional fight in May 2017, and founded the all-female boxing club Killa Girl Gang in New York’s SoHo.

Her dual career flourished with campaigns for Guess, Christian Siriano, and Skims. At the same time, her story of body transformation—from a size two at 99 pounds in 2015 to a size eight at 170 pounds in 2018—gained viral attention, earning her recognition as a 2018 Today Show Style Hero and a 2019 Self magazine New Year’s Challenge star.

Mia Kang continues to blend modeling with Muay Thai and advocacy, hosting body positivity retreats in Koh Samui and supporting charities like Drop4Drop for clean water access and Ditch the Label against bullying.

Her 2020 memoir Knockout details her journey from self-loathing to self-love, resonating globally and reinforcing her influence as a voice for diverse body representation in fashion.

Through intense training regimens—three hours daily in New York and six in Thailand—she maintains her athletic build while challenging industry norms, positioning herself as a multifaceted icon who empowers women to prioritize health over unrealistic standards.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @missmiakang
• Facebook Handle: Mia Kang
• Twitter Handle: @missmiakang

Personal Life

Mia Kang is single and has no children, having previously dated actor Will Estes in 2016. She maintains a private yet grounded lifestyle, splitting time between New York City and her family’s home in Koh Samui, Thailand, where she enjoys the anonymity of martial arts training and outdoor activities.

Filmography

• Jake’s Unemployment Summer (2011)
• The O’Reilly Factor (2016)
• Wild ‘N Out (2017)

Net Worth

Mia Kang has an estimated net worth of $1 million. Her wealth primarily stems from her modeling career, including high-profile campaigns for brands such as Sports Illustrated, Guess, and Levi’s, as well as earnings from Muay Thai fights, television hosting, and her memoir, Knockout.