The race towards the limelight is just as harrowing as any other. Supermodel Anok Yai has run it and found the breath caught in her lungs was something more painful than the norm.

At 28 years old, the 2017 debut supermodel found herself caught between work and health. On December 20, 2025, she shared about dealing with a life-altering Congenital defect via her Instagram.

"For the past year, I’ve been dealing with this silent battle," she typed out. Yai shared that the defect had been overworking her heart and, in turn, deteriorating her lungs. She received a robotic lung surgery to correct the defect.

Yai revealed that despite remaining asymptomatic all her life, the unusualness had taken the form of coughs, chest pains, and more. Regardless, the supermodel chose to carry on with her career.

"I chose to work through this while trying to find the right doctor and the right time," Yai said via her Instagram. She learnt that a health condition should not be delayed at any cost.

Yai's opening up has brought a standstill to the supermodel's young yet ever-growing runway tryst.

Anok Yai's still blooming path on the runway

Anok Yai had first hit the ramp in 2018. As a Sudanese student, she was discovered at the Howard Homecoming by photographer Steve Hall, only a year before.

Yai went on to make history by being only the second black model to open a Prada show, following Naomi Campbell. As of today, Anok Yai has made her mark on several runways and covers, including Vogue, and Victoria's Secret in 2025.

As per her Instagram post, Yai seems to be heading towards a speedy recovery. With her copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by her side, the supermodel has promised to return healed and ready to walk.

What do you think of Anok Yai's robotic lung surgery? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by

Adiba Nizami

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui