How Sharina Gutierrez Is Teaching Her Children to Chase Their Dreams

The SI Swimsuit rookie is leading by example for her three kiddos.

Sharina Gutierrez was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Sharina Gutierrez may be an SI Swimsuit rookie, but the model and sound guide is also a proud mother of three. And in making her dream of landing within the pages of the 2024 issue a reality, the 33-year-old Mama Mantra founder says she’s likewise setting an example for her children on what it means to shoot for the stars.

“The best thing that SI [Swimsuit] has ever given me, other than sisterhood, is the gift of showing my kids that dreams do come true, so that they understand that anything is possible,” she tells us during magazine launch events in Hollywood, Fla. “That more than anything means so much to me.”

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Gutierrez, one of seven winners of the 2023 Swim Search, adds that her children aren’t afraid to dream big because they see their mom hustling to make her own goals a reality. For example, she says that her 12-year-old son is a budding entrepreneur in the making, who currently has three streams of income from mowing lawns, babysitting and selling goods at his flag football games. Moments like these are powerful for Gutierrez, who knows her children are striving to reach their own goals just like she is.

“I don’t have to say anything, I just have to keep continuing to do what I’m doing,” she says. “Because the number one thing that I’ve learned about children is they’re [always] learning ... I’m walking in my purpose by doing what I’m doing and then they’re just following their [own] dreams now. They’re like, ‘Well, if mom can do it, then I can do it, too.’”