5 Marvelous Photos of Brittney Nicole in Portugal

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

Ten years ago, Brittney Nicole was stationed in Portugal with the Navy. A decade later, she traveled back to the European country for her SI Swimsuit rookie photo shoot. The Swim Search co-winner posed for talented photographer Derek Kettela for the 2024 issue, which Nicole describes as the most “magical” experience with the most empowering, exciting and “chill” energy.

Today, Nicole is a certified personal trainer who left her 9-to-5 job just a little over a year ago in order to focus on a career in modeling and content creation. 

“What I hope people take away when they see my photos [is] someone who is strong and resilient, but at the same time, [doesn’t] have it all figured out,” Nicole shares. “I'm coming into this completely new and [it’s] fun and exciting.”

The 32-year-old Georgia native uses her platform to encourage women to live healthy lifestyles full of balance, movement and self-love. 

“Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] to me means diversity. It means being authentic, your real self. It makes me feel relieved and good that I'm able to put myself out there to the world for the first time and I'm able to be me doing it because [SI Swimsuit] completely embraces who I am,” she gushes before adding valuable advice for any potential casting call applicants. “You just have to show up as you are, because they're going to accept you for it. That's the biggest lesson that I've learned throughout this whole journey.”

Below is a stunning sneak peek at Nicole’s jaw-dropping photo shoot in Portugal. Stay tuned for more to come next month!

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

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

Brittney Nicole was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto and the North, Portugal. Swimsuit by Svn Swim. Necklaces by Cleopatra’s Bling. / 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

Read more about Brittney Nicole’s 2024 SI Swimsuit photo shoot here.