Christen Harper and Katie Austin on the Importance of Female Friendships

The 2022 SI Swimsuit co-Rookies of the Year met through the Swim Search open casting call and are now besties.

Christen Harper and Katie Austin.

Amanda Pratt/Sports Illustrated and James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Katie Austin and Christen Harper don’t live in the same state and don’t get to see each other very often, but the 2022 co-Rookies of the Year have nailed the whole long distance friendship thing. The SI Swimsuit models recently shared their best advice on maintaining strong relationships with friends and family, regardless of how busy life gets.

Make the time to connect 

“I feel like with social media, it’s easy to see your friends posting and think you’re with them and connecting with them, but you’re not actually,” Harper, who was photographed by Amanda Pratt in Dominica for this year’s magazine, shares. “You have to make the effort outside of social media to actually connect in person, recharge and like really connect.”

The 30-year-old notes that seeing people’s lives through the lens of social media, while a great way to stay in touch, is not quite the same as interacting face-to-face.

“I think we have to remember to actually put in that time [and] be intentional,” she continues. “Always reach out. Always check in with people ask how they really are.”

Austin, who was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic this year, agrees. She admits she is super active on social media, especially when traveling.

“I post exactly what I’m doing, and my best friends from home, they don’t really post on social media,” the 29-year-old fitness influencer explains. “So I reach out to them and ask them what they’re doing, because social media is not always real life.”

Harper, who recently designed a line of bikinis and cover-ups with B Swim, adds that her best tip for maintaining IRL friendships is to start setting dates.

Plan ahead 

“That’s something that I never used to do, because I’m not a planner. [Now] I’m kind of stepping into my planner era. And I feel like you have to because everybody’s lives gets so busy that it’s important to set a date,” the model, who got engaged to Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff last summer, continues. “Even with my family—they are the ones that will understand the most if I’m busy—but now I’m trying to be like, ‘Mom, I’m gonna come visit you in two weeks and let’s do this.’ I feel like it’s important to set the date and then everybody can look forward to it and be ready for it.”

Austin says adult friendships take a different level of effort than high school or college ones, because sometimes you can’t spend quality time together on short notice.

Katie Austin and Christen Harper.

Alberto Tamargo/Getty Images

“As you get older, everyone is so busy so you actually have to set those dates, just like you’re scheduling in a massage or a work meeting,” she explains. “Sometimes, even when I’m really tired, I still want I still make the effort to hang out with my friends, and afterwards, I’m like so happy that I did.”

Austin gives their mutual friend Elizabeth Turner’s 30th birthday party last year as an example.

“I was so tired but I really [did] want to go and [knew it would be] so much fun. So I flew in and I had the best week of my life and I was so happy that I went,” she says. “Even if sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, I’m kind of tired and I’m really busy. Should I make time for this?’ I always think those moments are the most precious. Your friendships are everything—especially girl friends, to me, are just so important.”

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