Q&A With SI Swimsuit Legend Paige Spiranac

The 2018 magazine star returns to the fold for this year’s 60th anniversary issue.

Paige Spiranac was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Maria Lucia Hohan. Shoes by Dolce & Gabbana. Jewelry by Melinda Maria. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Turning 60 has never looked so good. To celebrate the big milestone in style, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit called upon 27 “Legends”—women of all ages, sizes, tribes and backgrounds—who epitomize trailblazing influence and game-changing impact. 

From supermodel OGs who made their first splash on the magazine’s glossy pages in the 1970s and ’80s to stars newer to the SI Swimsuit sisterhood—the Legends symbolize diversity, inclusivity, empowerment and self-love.  

“The Legends hold the power to represent the collective us,” SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day says. “Each one has played a significant role in the brand’s last 10 years, holding important conversations that have helped shift societal perceptions and led to incredible change for women.” 

The Legends had plenty to say in their one-on-one interviews, held during a three-day SI Swimsuit event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., where photo shoots for the 60th anniversary issue were underway amidst a flurry of glam teams, wardrobe stylists and veteran fashion lensmen. The Legends were unfiltered, funny, wise, compassionate, profound, and at times, searingly honest—proving that a woman’s inner beauty is her most important superpower of all.   

See more from the Legends photo shoot here.

Paige Spiranac made her splashy SI Swimsuit debut in 2018, when she traveled to Aruba with photographer James Macari. This year, she becomes a brand legend, having participated in the magazine’s 60th anniversary photo shoot in Hollywood, Fla.

What does being an SI Swimsuit Legend mean to you?

“Being an SI Swimsuit Legend is an incredible honor. It has been a catalyst in changing who I am as a person and how I’ve progressed in my career. The support from SI and the impact it has had is indescribable.”

Describe yourself in three words.

“Goofy, determined, kind-hearted.”

Paige Spiranac was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Maria Lucia Hohan. Shoes by Dolce & Gabbana. Jewelry by Melinda Maria. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

View Paige Spiranac’s 2024 Legends photo gallery here.

What do you love most about being a woman?

“Everything. I love being a woman. I love that I can be feminine and soft, and also hard and confident. You can use everything to your advantage to be successful. I think some people look at being a woman and think ‘I don't really like this,’ or ‘There are so many disadvantages.’ I see it quite differently. 

“I think being a woman in a male-dominated industry has been the reason I’ve been so successful. I’ve used every tool in my tool bag, and I’ve never shied away from it. I created a few new ones as well. People will look at me and underestimate me; I think that’s actually what’s so amazing about being a woman. It’s people underestimating you and always being able to prove them wrong.”

What do you love most about yourself?

“I love how I never give up. There have been so many times in my career where I should have quit, given up, or done something a little bit different because everyone was telling me what I should and shouldn’t do. I always listened to myself and my inner voice on what felt right to me. Something I’m really proud of is never giving up, always doing what makes me happy and makes me feel fulfilled. Just always being determined.”

What can women do to better empower each other?

“Change the conversation about each other—support each other’s right to be who they want to be without viewing each other as competition. Celebrate each other’s successes as collective victories.”

Paige Spiranac was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Maria Lucia Hohan. Shoes by Dolce & Gabbana. Jewelry by Melinda Maria. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

What excites you most about your life right now?

“I’m in a really interesting position in my career where I have done a lot of work within the golf community and am now branching out and doing more sports work. I wrote a children’s book called Hattie Goes Golfing to hopefully inspire a bunch of young kids to get out and play.”

Favorite quote.

 “That [it] doesn’t matter if you are the ripest, juiciest, most delicious peach, there’s still gonna be people out there who don’t love peaches." — Annette Spiranac, Paige’s mother