Despite this being the first time that Sports Illustrated has included a trans model in the edition, it isn’t the Swimsuit Issue’s first historic casting. In fact, it’s, in part, responsible for catapulting the career of model Ashley Graham who, in 2016, became the Swimsuit Issue’s first-ever plus-size model. The magazine also selected model Halima Aden — who wore a hijab and burkini during her SI shoot — for its 2019 issue.
Sports Illustrated First Trans Model: Valentina Sampaio
