Emily DiDonato Shared an Inspiring Message During Her Sixth SI Swimsuit Feature

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Anne Menke in Sacramento, Calif. / Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

For her sixth feature in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, American model Emily DiDonato traveled out West to Sacramento, Calif. There, she posed for vibrant photos taken by photographer Anne Menke.

The model couldn’t have been more thrilled to return to the issue, and she made as much clear in an Instagram post at the time. “SO excited to be back in @si_swimsuit 2021!!!” she captioned a carousel of some of her best photos from the trip. “Can’t wait to celebrate this issue and all the powerful, gorgeous people in it this coming week!”

It was only the latest installment in a partnership between the model and SI Swimsuit that has taken her to the likes of Switzerland, Hawai’i and Turks and Caicos. It is a partnership that has resulted in the most stunning photos and a lot of really thoughtful advice from the longtime model.

In 2021, DiDonato took the chance to reflect on her “inner dialogue,” and, in particular, the way that she began to think about her body at a young age. “In sixth or seventh grade ... I remember wanting to look like other people,” she told the SI Swimsuit team that year. It wasn’t until she was in her mid-to-late 20s that she “[came] to peace with her body and realize[d] that it’s great just the way that it is.”

Realizing that gave the model greater peace and happiness—and that’s exactly what she wants for everyone else, too. Below are a few photos from the inspiring model’s sixth feature in the annual magazine.

Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated

Anne Menke/Sports Illustrated