Celebrate Jordan Chiles’s Birthday With a Look Back at Her Spectacular Cover Shoot

The Olympian’s 2025 SI Swimsuit debut was worthy of a perfect score.

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by I.AM.GIA. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

The SI Swimsuit family has a very special reason to celebrate today, as April 15 marks Jordan Chiles’s 25th birthday!

A decorated Olympic gymnast and SI Swimsuit cover star—earning a coveted front-page spot on last year’s issue alongside Salma Hayek Pinault, Lauren Chan and Olivia Dunne—Chiles is, put simply, a superstar. Whether she’s taking home the gold with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Games or earning perfect scores on the ballroom floor as a finalist on Dancing With the Stars, the athlete is a winner through and through.

So, to celebrate the birthday girl’s special day, we welcome you to take a look back at a few of our favorite snapshots from her incredible SI Swimsuit debut!

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by FAE. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by FAE. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

Chiles first stepped foot on our set in 2025, strutting her stuff on the shores of the Sunshine State at The Boca Raton. Despite it being her debut shoot with the magazine, the athlete made it look effortless, striking countless powerful poses for photographer Ben Horton.

When it came to her wardrobe for the feature, the SI Swimsuit team opted for colorful, classic pieces with a “minimalist” bent. In a curated collection comprising fan-favorite designers like FAE, Bad N Bare and I.AM.GIA, Chiles modeled the suits on both the land and the sea, posing for a few daring snapshots off the side of a boat.

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by GIGI C. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by GIGI C. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

After she was selected as one of the four cover stars for the 2025 issue following her shoot, SI Swimsuit’s editor in chief, MJ Day, surprised Chiles with the news of her cover. The gymnast’s emotional reaction said it all, and in her cover story, she revealed why: she had actually manifested this moment.

“Three years ago, I was on a girls’ trip in Hawaii and was pretending that I was doing a Sports Illustrated shoot,” Chiles told SI Swimsuit. “I literally said, ‘One day, I’m going to be an SI model.’”

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by I.AM.GIA. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by I.AM.GIA. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

And indeed, she did become an SI Swimsuit model! With her cover feature, the star also noted that she aimed to capture a specific message about body image and confidence.

“The biggest thing I want people to take away [from the shoot] is understanding that my body is my body and that I have the ability to express it in millions of different ways and people are going to accept that ...” Chiles said, adding, “It’s really cool just being able to finally embrace my beauty in the way I can, so hopefully people can see the beauty inside of me and that they understand that this is a dream come true for me.”

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by Bad N Bare. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

Jordan Chiles was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton. Swimsuit by Bad N Bare. | Ben Horton/Sports Illustrated

You can check out the rest of Chiles’s 2025 gallery here!

---