Get to Know These Star Female Athletes in a Different Light

Gabby Thomas, Toni Breidinger, Suni Lee and more like you've never seen them before.

Jordan Chiles, Nelly Korda, Caroline Marks, Eileen Gu, Anna Hall, Cameron Brink, Toni Breidinger, Ali Truwit, Gabby Thomas and Suni Lee were photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Fla. / Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

We have grown to love these professional athletes on the court, track, mat, mountain, golf course and pool for their tenacity, fierceness and passion they have for their sport. Their commitment is obvious every time they set out to compete, which has earned them the respect of peers and fans and left many in awe. From the start whistle before a game or competition to that final buzzer, all we know of them is what we see –their grit and talent.

But who are Gabby Thomas, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Toni Breidinger, Ali Truwit, Anna Hall, Eileen Gu, Caroline Marks, Nelly Korda and Cameron Brink when they aren’t in the spotlight? SI Swimsuit spent time with each of these star athletes during their Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photo shoots in Boca Raton, Fla. and learned that they are fun, quirky and full of life.

We hit them with the hard questions, the ones no one dared to ask before, and were pleasantly surprised by their responses. Keep scrolling to learn more about Lee’s competition day superstition, Chiles’s favorite restaurant and what it was like for Breidinger to grow up with a sister.

Any hidden talents?

Anna Hall: “I can juggle and play the guitar.”

Ali Truwit: “I can fold my tongue in half, but it's not something for video, I don't think.”

Are you superstitious?

Suni Lee: “My meet day superstitions, I have to get ready two hours before the meet. Whenever I get my hair braided, the person that's braiding my hair has one chance to braid it right. Otherwise, I'm convinced that my meet day is going to be horrible.”

Gabby Thomas: “No, I'm the opposite of superstitious.”

Eileen Gu: “I'm very superstitious, but only in the context of competing. I have to be the first one to drop-in practice on a comp day. I have to do all my warm-ups in sets of eight because eight people make finals.”

Ali Truwit: “I eat the same foods before I compete. I use the same hair tie if my races go well. I used to keep my cap and goggles on in the exact same position between races. A lot of the same things if it goes well, and I'll change it up if it doesn't.”

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Favorite food?

Anna Hall: “Chick-fil-A.”

Caroline Marks: “Sushi.”

Jordan Chiles: “Depending on the day, most likely pizza or anything from Olive Garden.”

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What song is on repeat?

Gabby Thomas: “Wait, what is a song on repeat right now? Let me look at my Spotify.”

Anna Hall: “’That's So true. Gracie Abrams. I cannot get it out of my head.”

Ali Truwit: “Every single day since the attack, I play a song called ‘Million Little Miracles’. It's written on the cover of one of my prosthetic legs, like the athletic leg, and it just kind of guides me toward gratitude for being here. It's a miracle I'm here.”

What were you like as a kid?

Gabby Thomas: “I feel like my family would describe me when I was little, as a little bit stubborn, a little bit bossy and funny.”

What’s life like with siblings?

Nelly Korda: “Monopoly was very heated between Seb and I growing up. It was always very friendly, but also competitive at the end of the day. I mean, we grew up playing a bunch of sports.”

Toni Breidinger: “Growing up, I was always racing with my twin sister, so for me, I always had a female around.”

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Do you get nervous when competing?

Gabby Thomas: “I definitely do get nervous sometimes. And to deal with nerves, I like to meditate before I practice and before I race.”

Cameron Brink: “I just think it's really important to talk to someone, anyone you feel comfortable with sharing, and I just try to take moments for myself. And also belly breathing is key. Make sure you're breathing through your belly.”

Cameron Brink / Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Eileen Gu: “I get super nervous, but I think that's good. I think it's kind of about controlling the range in which you kind of project that energy. Utilizing those nerves to your advantage to give you just that extra boost so that you can compete even better than you train is the ideal state to be in.”

Suni Lee: “Whenever I'm doing something new, because I am not the type of person that likes to step out of my comfort zone, I always just try to hype myself up. I give myself words of affirmation probably almost every day. I also journal, and I write down my goals, things that I want to accomplish.”

Suni Lee / SI Staff

What’s next?

Gabby Thomas: “I am definitely training for LA 2028, and it takes me about four years to mentally prepare for that. But physically, I don't start until about eight months out and now I'm training for World Championships in 2025.”

Eileen Gu: “Right now, I'm in my term abroad at Oxford. I'm loving it so much. Really just immersing myself in the culture there, making new friends, learning about this incredible academic institution. And then also I have the Olympics coming up. That little thing, and yeah, just taking it one step at a time. Balancing all the little pieces of my life and enjoying it as I go.”