Emily DiDonato Was the Dreamiest Cowgirl During Her SI Swim Feature in Wyoming

The model posed for the franchise six separate years.

Ananya Panchal | Nov 3, 2024

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Saratoga, Wyo. / Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit stalwart Emily DiDonato made her debut in Namibia in 2013 with visual artist Kayt Jones. It was clear from that very moment that the model was destined to be a star. She served as the face of Maybelline cosmetics for a decade, and went on the pose for the magazine an additional five times, traveling to the most fun locations including Montreux in Switzerland, Kauai in Hawai’i and Turks and Caicos.

The mom of two, who shares her kids Oliver and Teddy with husband Kyle Peterson, is a fierce advocate for body positivity in the fashion and modeling industries today. The New York native and resident is constantly candidly speaking about how her relationship with and love for her body has ebbed and flowed over the years and with each new phase of life: teenage years, adulthood, post-partum and motherhood. The 33-year-old, who has starred on numerous Vogue covers, is also the founder of skincare brand Covey.

“In sixth or seventh grade, my body became a part of my inner dialogue. I remember wanting to look like other people, and wanting to have bodies like other people. In middle school and in high school, I just didn’t like my body. It just wasn’t [my] ideal body. It took me until I was [in my late 20’s] where I started to come to peace with my body and realize that it’s great just the way that it is,” DiDonato candidly shared with the magazine. “I think once I allowed myself to not funnel so much energy into wishing I looked like somebody else, I was finally able to just be happy with who I was. What I wish I could tell my younger self is that thinking about that and obsessing over your body and your look, or your pant size, takes up so much mental and emotional space for you, and it just keeps you down. If you allow yourself to free up that space, you don’t even know how much you're capable of, you could be using that time, that energy, for something so much more positive and useful for yourself, for others. Try to open up that space not just for your mind, but [also] your emotional and spiritual health.”

Below are some of our favorite images from her 2020 SI Swim feature with Ruven Afanador in Wyoming.

Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Published Nov 3, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.