Icon Simone Biles Is All Beauty and Strength on SI Swimsuit Set in Puerto Vallarta

The incredible gymnast traveled to Mexico in 2019 for her second brand photo shoot.

Simone Biles was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. / Walter Chin/Sports Illustrated

With the return of the WNBA, the start of the US Open and the lead-up to the 2024 Paralympic games, the sports world has moved on from the Paris Olympics. There are more current events to cover—and they deserve all of that attention and more. But, for our part, just as we’re thinking about our favorite tennis stars competing in New York this week, we’re still not quite over Simone Biles’s performance in France. How could we be? The history-making gymnast did what she does best in the French capital, and captured our attention (and inspired awe) all over again.

Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the 27-year-old firsthand. She has posed for the annual SI Swimsuit Issue on two different occasions—first in 2017 and then again in 2019. Each time, she has impressed us with her strength and skill (during her Houston photo shoot, in particular, she took the chance to show off some of her gymnastics moves). But, more importantly, she has inspired us with her demeanor and poise.

On set, she displayed the same impressive character that carried Biles through the past few years of hardship (starting, of course, with her withdrawal from events at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021). Biles is an inspiration in the gym, of course. But she has likewise become an important voice for mental health advocacy, among other things.

In other words, Biles has it all—and the willingness to share her gifts and inspire others in the process. Here are a few photos from her 2019 photo shoot in Puerto Vallarta that may do just that.

Walter Chin/Sports Illustrated

Walter Chin/Sports Illustrated

Walter Chin/Sports Illustrated