Paige Spiranac Says She’ll ‘Never Forget’ the First Time She Saw Her SI Swim Photos

The brand legend recalls the surreal, empowering experience of her photo shoot in Aruba.

Paige Spiranac was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Content creator Paige Spiranac first appeared in the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2018, after posing for visual artist James Macari for a super edgy, bold, powerful photo shoot on the sand dunes and beaches of Aruba. This year, in honor of the brand’s 60th anniversary, the 31-year-old returned to the fold as an SI Swimsuit legend.

While on location of the photo shoot in Florida with Yu Tsai earlier this year, the Colorado native fondly recalled the moment she saw her gallery for the first time in ’18.

“I remember it like it was yesterday. The shoot, and then also when the images were put online, it was in New York, right before the launch of the magazine, when the entire album came out,” she shared. “I had never seen myself like that before, coming from a golf background. And even though what I would wear would be deemed, you know, a little bit edgy for golf, I had never done a swimsuit photo shoot before, so it was completely different. And seeing those pictures, I was like, ‘That’s me. That’s the person I want to be.’”

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Swimsuit by AreYouAmI. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Spiranac, who is one of the most-followed female golfers on social media, is no stranger to internet criticism. She has opened up to the brand on what a positive impact not only her photo shoot, but also her time on set with editor in chief MJ Day and the SI Swimsuit team, made on her confidence and self-esteem.

“During that time in my life, I was struggling a lot with confidence,” she continued. “Seeing myself as powerful and confident and just all of these things that I never thought I could be, to see it there online, after looking at Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] for such a long time, was just such an out of body experience. I’ll never forget that moment.”

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Top by Divamp. Swimsuit by SLATE SWIM. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated