4 Incredible Photos of 2024 SI Swim Rookie Jena Sims in Mexico

The Swim Search co-winner, mom and non-profit CEO is bringing her contagious smile and positive energy to May’s 60th anniversary magazine.

Ananya Panchal | Apr 16, 2024

Jena Sims was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Swim Search co-winner Jena Sims makes her mark in May’s 60th anniversary SI Swimsuit Issue. The model and entrepreneur recently wrapped up her rookie feature in Mexico with photographer Yu Tsai, and she describes it as a totally “electric” experience.

The 35-year-old, who lives in Jupiter, Fla., with her husband, professional golfer Brooks Koepka, welcomed a baby boy named Crew last July. She says her son has truly been through the entire open casting call journey with her—Sims found out she was pregnant a couple of days before her first round of interviews with the SI Swim team and walked the Miami Swim Week runway as a finalist eight months pregnant.

“To me, being a rookie, it just feels right. I have worked literally my entire life. This [has been] my biggest goal ever since I was a little kid,” she says while on location. “I was so nervous flying here, but now that I’m here, I just feel so relaxed. I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be. This is the beginning of just such a huge new chapter of my life.”

Today, Sims is a model, mom, swimwear designer, interior design enthusiast, wine connoisseur and so much more. The Georgia native is also the founder and CEO of HBBQs, Inc., a non-profit organization that puts on the Pageant of Hope event, focusing on confidence and self-esteem for children and teens in challenging environments. At heart, she is lighthearted and occasionally goofy, and her beauty really radiates through in these four exclusive, sneak peek pics from her 2024 SI Swimsuit rookie photo shoot.

Jena Sims was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Jena Sims was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Jena Sims was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Read more about Jena Sims’s 2024 SI Swimsuit photo shoot here.

Published Apr 16, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.