Ashley Graham Is Astonishing in These 5 SI Swim Pics in Turks and Caicos

The model landed the cover of the magazine as a rookie in 2016.

Cara O’Bleness | Feb 13, 2024

Ashley Graham was photographed by James Macari in Turks and Caicos.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated

When Ashley Graham first posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue, she landed the 2016 cover of the annual publication after her stunning photo shoot in Turks and Caicos. Not only was she a rookie at the time, but Graham also became the first plus-sized model in the brand’s history to land on the front of the magazine.

The Nebraska native returned to the fold the following two years, and traveled to Fiji and Nevis with photographers Yu Tsai and Josie Clough, respectively. In addition to her work with SI Swimsuit, the 36-year-old mom of three has collaborated with notable brands and publications like Revlon, Dolce & Gabbana, Vogue and GQ.

“Being the first-ever size 14 model in the pages of Sports Illustrated, that’s going to be a much huger stepping stone than just ... being a rookie or just being in the pages,” Graham said at the time. “It’s a woman my size: A woman that has been told she was ‘fat,’ ‘not good enough,’ ‘never going to be an editorial model,’ ‘never be in the pages of Sports Illustrated.’ And now I’m proving everybody who ever told me that wrong. I think that’s just a statement for all the women out there who have felt ugly, who have felt fat, who have felt like they haven’t been represented. I’m representing them right now. It’s a huge encouragement to myself knowing that I’ve overcome so many different things and that these women can overcome it as well. I think that this is yet another huge stepping stone for, for women, my size to just be accepted as a normal average woman.”

Below, we’re throwing it back to a few of our favorite snaps from Graham’s cover girl moment in Turks and Caicos, captured by James Macari.

Ashley Graham — James Macari/Sports Illustrated

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Published Feb 13, 2024

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.