Kelsey Merritt Lived Her Dreams on the SI Swim Set in the Dominican Republic

With hard work, the Filipino-American model has found a lot of success in the industry.

Kelsey Merritt was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic / Kate Powers/Sports Illustrated

If Filipino-American model Kelsey Merritt could go back and give her younger self one piece of advice, it would be to dream big—and then work toward those dreams.

On the set of her 2020 SI Swimsuit Issue photo shoot—her second consecutive feature with the brand—in the Dominican Republic, the model talked about the importance of both: big dreams and hard work. “Dream hard, work hard,” is the simple advice she would give to her younger self, she said. “Dream anything you want but also put in the work. Be patient. Things will fall into place if they are meant to be. You have no idea what your life will be like in nine years.”

For the now 27-year-old, life several years down the road was what she would consider a dream come true. When asked what motivates and inspires her, Merritt’s answer was simple: meaningful career opportunities. At the time of her second SI Swimsuit photo shoot, the model was “living [her] dream job and working with [her] dream clients,” she stated. Put simply, that’s what pushes her. “I never take for granted the work I have always dreamed of doing,” Merritt explained.

She certainly didn’t take her SI Swimsuit features for granted. Each of her three appearances in the annual issue was as fabulous as the last. And while we always love the chance to look back at every one, today we’re taking it back to 2020—Merritt’s second brand feature.

Below are some of the glowing photos from her trip to the Dominican Republic.

Kelsey Merritt was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Johanna Ortiz. / Kate Powers/Sports Illustrated

Kelsey Merritt was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by TROPIC OF C. / Kate Powers/Sports Illustrated

Kelsey Merritt was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Agent Provocateur. / Kate Powers/Sports Illustrated