These 6 Stunning Photos of Clarissa Bowers in Turks and Caicos Prove Why She Was Named Miss World America

The Swim Search open casting call alumna was photographed by Yu Tsai for the 2020 issue.

Ananya Panchal | Mar 7, 2024

Clarissa Bowers was photographed by Yu Tsai in Turks and Caicos.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit model Clarissa Bowers applied to the Swim Search open casting call several years ago, making her appearance in the 2020 issue after her photo shoot with photographer Yu Tsai.

The Umatilla, Fla., native, who graduated from Vanderbilt University as a pre-med major with a focus in neuroscience, traveled to Turks and Caicos for her feature with the brand. The 26-year-old was named Miss World America in 2017. She grew up as a total tomboy, so her branch into the modeling and pageantry world was something she never imagined as a child.

“I was very grateful for the opportunities that modeling brought me, but I found it very difficult to maintain a ‘model’s diet’ on an athlete’s pace. In the early stages, I was elated to be selected from a casting. However, I soon found my emotions to shift from elation to sadness, as I knew I would be receiving more ‘professional advice’ to not eat until that booking was completed,” she admitted about some difficulties she faced in the industry when starting out. “The SI team takes the time to genuinely get to know the brilliant minds and kind souls behind all of the beautiful faces. SI unifies and attracts women of all shapes, sizes, ages, careers and cultures from all corners of the world. The open casting call draws in an incredibly well-rounded group of women, all seeking to empower and support one another.”

Below are six stunning photos from her SI Swimsuit feature in Turks and Caicos.

Clarissa Bowers — Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Published Mar 7, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.