Meet 2023 SI Swimsuit Rookie Ellie Thumann

The mental health advocate makes her SI Swimsuit Issue debut this spring.

Ellie Thumann is best known for her YouTube channel, where she blogs about travel, beauty, lifestyle and fashion. The 21-year-old model and influencer regularly documents her travels on the platform, whether she’s globe-trotting for work or play.

Thumann got her start in the modeling industry as a young girl, doing print and runway shows alongside her mother. Since then, the Phoenix native has built her own personal brand, signed with IMG and has worked with companies such as Marc Jacobs, Levi’s, Kate Spade, Reebok and Coach.

Ellie Thumann was photographed in Puerto Rico by Derek Kettela. Swimsuit by OYE.

Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Thumann uses her online presence—including more than one million followers on Instagram and more than two million subscribers on YouTube—for good. She’s a mental health advocate who regularly partners with brands and nonprofits that support emotional well-being initiatives that align with her personal values. For example, last year she collaborated with Beats by Dre to create a pair of personalized therapy headphones that were symbolic of her regular “hot girl walks.”

We’re thrilled to share that this spring, Thumann joins the SI Swimsuit family as the brand’s newest rookie for the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue.

“Ellie has been on our radar for some time, making a name for herself with her unfiltered take on being a young woman navigating the world of fashion and modeling,” says SI Swimsuit editor in chief, MJ Day. “She’s a beacon of positivity in what can be an arduous industry and we can’t wait to see what she’ll do next! We are pleased and honored to feature her as a rookie in the 2023 issue.”

After working with photographer Derek Kettela in Puerto Rico, Thumann chatted about what it’s like to be a rookie, how she hopes to inspire other women, how she prioritizes her mental health and more.

“My day was unforgettable”

Thumann calls the start of her photo shoot “up there with one of my favorite mornings ever.” While she says she had to battle being in direct sunlight in the tropical climate from daybreak to dusk, she described her rookie experience as “insane”—in a good way.

Ellie Thumann was photographed in Puerto Rico by Derek Kettela. Swimsuit by OYE.

Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

“My day was unforgettable in the best way possible from start to finish, ending it with a beautiful sunset,” she says. “And [then] the sunrise, everything [from] start to finish [was] perfect.”

She shares that it wasn’t until the end of the photo shoot that she fully began to grasp the immensity of her rookie status.

“That’s when it really hit me,” she says. “It’s surreal and I don’t think I’ll ever fully process it. [I’m] just trying to take it all in knowing it’s such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Really trying to keep myself grounded and looking at everything that’s happened to get me here. It’s just incredible.”

Thumann says that she loved the travel aspect of her photo shoot and enjoyed exploring various parts of Puerto Rico. She adds that the SI Swimsuit team made her feel right at home on set.

“I’m very proud of myself because [modeling] can be a very intimidating, vulnerable thing, but everyone’s made me feel very comfortable and very confident in myself and [are] reminding me why I’m here,” she gushes. “And it just means a lot to just have amazing people that are making me feel so good.”

As for what she hopes other women take away from seeing her photos in the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue, Thumann says she wants the audience to get to know her better as a human being and what she stands for.

“I’m proud of being the healthiest version of myself inward and outward,” she says. “When women see my photos, I would love for them to take away inspiration towards letting [beauty] radiate from the inside out, because I think that’s really what makes all of these photos and the whole experience more special.”

“Show up exactly as you are”

As a mental health advocate, Thumann prioritizes both mind and body and encourages her followers to do the same. She says that she’s finally at a place where both feel balanced.

Ellie Thumann was photographed in Puerto Rico by Derek Kettela. Swimsuit by OYE.

Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

“I’ve gone through a lot of different changes with my own mental health, my own physical body and everything, but showing up as the healthiest version of myself is such a priority to me, especially after a time recently where I struggled with that,” she adds. “Feeling strong and healthy is most important to me inside and out and mentally and physically, and I finally feel like that, and so I’m very proud to show that.”

Thumann hopes that her message of genuine self-love is something that her fans will embrace in their own lives.

“Show up exactly as you are and be confident in that. That always radiates from the inside out,” she suggests. “I’ve tried to mask that or have a fake confidence, but until you feel it from yourself, it’s not gonna radiate in an authentic way.”

“Time to clear my mind … is how I give myself the best self-love”

Thumann shares that alone time is key to her mental health, so she starts each day with a long walk. Her morning routine also includes a good cup of coffee.

“Something I do daily for my mental health is go on at least a three-mile walk, no matter where I am, with coffee and just clear my [mind]... it really starts my day perfectly,” she says.

Ellie Thumann was photographed in Puerto Rico by Derek Kettela. Swimsuit by OYE.

Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Alone time, Thumman shares, is her greatest form of self-care in order to work through her thoughts.

“Just time to clear my mind, I think is how I try and give myself the best self-love,” she admits.

However, on the occasions that her mind feels muddled, Thumann returns to her personal motto to help ground herself.

“A mantra that I tell myself every day is that things, good or bad, are not happening to me, but they’re happening for me, and that everything’s happening for a reason,” she says. “And if you don’t know the reason, that means you’re [in] the happening.”

Thumann notes that setting boundaries with herself and others is also crucial to maintaining her mental health, which occasionally requires her to say “no” to things.

Focusing on projects and engagements that closely align to her personal values and goals allows Thumann to be a positive example for other young women.

“I think the most important thing for me to accomplish is talking about mental health and being kind of like a role model or an older sister, because I look to my older sister so much for guidance and not everyone has that,” she says. “And so being someone that [provides] positivity and [gives] beneficial help and advice for things that everyone deals with is the most important thing to me with my platform.”