Genevieve Morton Bravely Posed With a Lion During Her Breathtaking SI Swim Photoshoot in Zambia

The model appeared in six consecutive issues with the brand.

Ananya Panchal | Nov 3, 2023

Genevieve Morton was photographed by Derek Kettela in Livingstone, Zambia.

Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

South African model Genevieve Morton is an SI Swimsuit stalwart. She posed for the magazine for six consecutive yearsm including her debut in 2010 with Walter Chin in Palm Springs, Calif., and her most recent appearance in 2015 with photographer Yu Tsai in St. John.

The 37-year-old, who also traveled to Fiji, Australia and Switzerland with the brand, and participated in a bodypaint feature, which she declared as her favorite, was voted the Sexiest Woman in the World in 2012 by FHM.

Morton previously reflected on how important and meaningful her 2012 feature in Zambia was.

“Zambia is special to me, for a different reason,” she said. “My mother was born in Zambia, and I have the most incredible photographs of when they lived here and she dreamed of coming back to Zambia. Unfortunately she passed away. So, when I come here, and I know it’s something that she always wanted to do, it makes me feel like I'm fulfilling one of her dreams, as well as one of mine.”

The adventure fanatic and CrossFit enthusiast also gushed about how cool her experience posing with a lion was.

“When I got here, I found out that I would be doing the lion shot and I’ve had experiences with wild lions, being South African. The lions aren’t used to having a photoshoot with all the equipment so we didn’t know how they were going to react. The lions were so amazing,” she said. “They felt like giant kittens, and I loved them and I felt as though if I just stayed calm, they would stay calm. And I actually got to realize how incredible it is, walking with lions holding their tails.”

Below are six jaw-dropping snapshots from Morton’s photoshoot with Derek Kettela.

Genevieve Morton — Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

MTY5MjQzNDU4NDk2ODk4MzM3 — Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

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Published Nov 3, 2023

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a NYC-based Lifestyle & Trending News writer at SI Swimsuit. Before joining the Swim team, the Boston University Alum worked for culture & entertainment beats at Bustle, The San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When Ananya is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, she can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast.