Swimsuit

Athlete Dominique Ruotolo Says Modeling and Track and Field Have This in Common

The 2025 Swim Search finalist is also a PAC-12 champion and an NCAA All-American.

Cara O’Bleness

Dominique Ruotolo
Dominique Ruotolo / Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

Dominique Ruotolo only started modeling a few months ago, but in May, the 2025 Swim Search finalist strutted the SI Swimsuit Runway during Swim Week like a seasoned professional.

The 25-year-old athlete is a track and field star who is both a PAC-12 champion and an NCAA All-American. After transferring to USC from Oregon, Ruotolo ranked sixth on the school’s all-time outdoor triple jump list, and is a five-time competitor at the USA Championships.

We recently chatted with the lifelong athlete, and Ruotolo pointed out that there are actually a few parallels between her experience with athletics and modeling. She says it’s all about prepping your mind and body.

“ I feel like for track, you always have to prepare your body, your mindset before you go into competition, and that felt like the same thing when I was getting ready for Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit],” Ruotolo explains. “I was doing crunches for track, but then also I was like, let’s do 10 more because I’m walking down the runway. I feel like it’s like the same thing: getting your body right mentally and physically.”

In order to stay in shape, Ruotolo relies on a rigorous routine of daily endurance and strength workouts, and when it comes to her nutrition, the Switzerland-born athlete prioritizes protein in her meals and loves a fresh juice.

Aside from her physical health, Ruotolo also takes necessary measures to protect her mental well-being by prioritizing self-care. She loves taking her time with her morning skincare routine and is learning to cook in her leisure time.

 “I like finishing hard workouts,” Ruotolo adds of another on-brand way she enjoys taking care of her physical and mental health. “Especially on Mondays, I have really, really hard workouts and every single Monday for the last nine years, I’m always just like, How did I do that? How did I run eight 100s, like five 200s, then do weights and everything else? I feel like that’s very rewarding.”

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Cara O’Bleness
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.

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