Jena Sims Reflects on Two Years of ‘Empowering’ Miami Swim Week Walks With SI Swimsuit

The 2024 rookie and mom of one strutted the catwalk two years in a row.

Jena Sims / John Parra/Getty Images

SI Swimsuit rookie Jena Sims made her Miami Swim Week runway debut with the brand last summer, when she was a top seven finalist in the 2023 Swim Search. At the time, she was pregnant with her son, a baby boy named Crew, who was born later that month.

After being named co-winner of last year’s open casting call, Sims earned her rookie status in the 60th anniversary SI Swimsuit Issue, and a second walk down the Miami Swim Week catwalk on behalf of the brand.

The 35-year-old model and mom recently reflected fondly upon both experiences, as she shared an Instagram reel of side-by-side footage of herself walking down the Miami Swim Week runway in July of 2023 and last month.

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“1 year later, both walks were equally empowering,” Sims noted in her caption. “🩷✨@si_swimsuit, thank you as always for accepting us as we are.”

Tons of her 305,000 Instagram followers piped in to the comments section to praise Sims.

“Gorgeous! You go girl! Love to see it ❤️,” one person wrote.

“Amazing! Beautiful and powerful in both!” someone else added.

“🙌🏻 iconic,” another fan stated.

“Obsessed with this, love both versions of you 🥰🫶🏽😍,” an additional user applauded.

During her rookie photo shoot in Mexico, Sims noted that landing within the pages of the SI Swimsuit Issue was a dream come true.

“Being a rookie, it just feels right,” Sims said. “I have worked literally my entire life [for this]. This is my biggest goal ever since I was a little kid ... I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be, and I feel like this is the beginning of such a huge new chapter of my life.”