Swimsuit

Don’t Miss These 4 Photos of Nerd Herd Founder, Four-Time SI Swim Model Haley Kalil in Belize

The 2018 Swim Search co-winner was photographed by Yu Tsai for her debut shoot.

Ananya Panchal

Haley Kalil was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize.

Haley Kalil was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize.

SI Swimsuit mode Haley Kalil was featured in four consecutive magazine issues after her debut shoot with Yu Tsai in Belize in 2018, the year she was named co-winner of the Swim Search open casting call alongside Camille Kostek. Her sophomore shoot was in the breathtaking Kenya, and she traveled to Scrub Island, BVI, and Hollywood, Fla., the following two years.

The 31-year-old has built her platform to be a safe space that promotes self-love and body positivity and sparks candid conversations about the reality of the modeling industry. Kalil also loves to share a good amount of quirky videos and skits.

As a self-proclaimed nerd, who has degrees in biomedical sciences and psychology, she is also the founder of the Nerd Herd, an organization focused on empowering women in STEM to love their minds and bodies.

“While studying for my MCAT and preparing to apply to medical school, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit held their first ever open casting call. I always wanted to be a model but I never knew how! As a nerdy kid growing up in Minnesota … It seemed like an impossible dream,” she told Miami Living about her two passions and how they both came true. “Thankfully, I built up the courage and submitted a casting video to the iconic SI Swimsuit. To my surprise, they invited me to the casting in NYC. After the casting, I was chosen as one of only 15 women to walk in Miami Swim Week. This was the birth of my modeling career. I’ll never forget walking that runway in front of what felt like all of Miami … so nervous but also so excited for what the future could hold. Who knew that runway would be the start of an entirely new life.”

Below are four of our favorite photos from her SI Swimsuit debut in Belize.

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Ananya Panchal
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.

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