6 Inspirational Snaps From Swim Search Finalist Kelly Crump’s Historic Photoshoot

Last year, she became the first woman to display a visible mastectomy scar in the magazine’s history.

Cara O’Bleness | Sep 30, 2023

Kelly Crump was photographed by Yu Tsai in the Dominican Republic.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

When Kelly Crump posed for the 2022 SI Swimsuit Issue, she became the first woman to ever display a visible mastectomy scar in the publication’s history. The Swim Search finalist traveled to the Dominican Republic, where she was photographed by Yu Tsai.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 at the age of 38, Crump is now living with metastatic breast cancer and uses her platform to teach others that they are not their diagnosis.

“This is a whole new thing for me,” she told SI Swimsuit last year of sharing her story. “At the end of the day, if it just makes one person feel better about their body or their situation, then I’m happy. If it makes someone check their breasts consistently in a non-scary or fearful way, and if I can teach people how to be happier with what life throws at them, then I’m doing my work. I just want people to laugh and have a giggle, and I want to empower them.”

Despite her battle with the disease, the North Carolina native continues to spread her message of positivity and confidence, and greets each day with a positive attitude.

“You can’t control things that happen in your life, but you can control how you react to them, so you wake up every day and you go, ‘O.K., I’m just going to have a good day,” Crump added of her outlook.

Below are a few of our favorite snapshots from Crump’s groundbreaking SI Swimsuit photoshoot with Yu Tsai.

Kelly Crump — Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

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Published Sep 30, 2023

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara O’Bleness is a writer and editor on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Prior to joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, O’Bleness loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism.