4 of Brittney Nicole’s Best Stringy Swimwear Looks From Portugal

The 2024 SI Swimsuit rookie was photographed by Ben Watts in Europe for this year’s issue.

Brittney Nicole was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

After co-winning last year’s Swim Search, Brittney Nicole was deemed a rookie in the 60th anniversary issue. Following her participation in the brand’s open casting call, the Atlanta native traveled to Porto and the North, Portugal, for her photo shoot with visual artist Ben Watts.

Nicole, who served as a Seabee in the Navy, was once deployed in Portugal, so returning to the European country with the SI Swimsuit team was an incredibly full-circle moment. During her eight years of service, Nicole also worked building schools and runways in Guam, Spain, Israel and Japan.

“I was in Portugal 10 years ago deployed and now I’m here 10 years later with Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit],” she shared while on location. “So your destination can change at any point and you just have to enjoy the journey. I really hope that people can see my photos and just get inspired by my story and how far I’ve come.”

Nicole noted that her time in the Navy prepared her for her modeling career, which she is now doing full-time.

“[Discipline] is something that I didn’t have when I joined the Navy. I didn’t have the discipline, and I’ve had it for eight years,” Nicole stated. “Then going into modeling, it was so easy to work out, be very conscious of the things that I’m eating and just stick to the plan. The Navy is very structured, and modeling is not so structured, but you still need to have discipline and you still need to figure out what course you’re going to take.”

Below are just a few of our favorite string swimsuit photos from Nicole’s rookie SI Swimsuit feature.

Brittney Nicole was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Agent Provocateur. Earrings by Ottoman Hands. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Brittney Nicole was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by MALÍLUHA. Earrings by Ottoman Hands. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Brittney Nicole was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Frankies Bikinis. Necklace by Ottoman Hands. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Brittney Nicole was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Svn Swim. Necklaces by Cleopatra’s Bling. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated