Rayna Vallandingham Talks Representation in SI Swimsuit, Hollywood and Martial Arts

The 13-time Tae Kwon Do World Champion posed for photographer Yu Tsai in Jamaica for the 2025 issue.

Rayna Vallandingham was photographed by Yu Tsai in Jamaica. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Rayna Vallandingham has one word to describe her SI Swimsuit feature: “indescribable.”

The 13-time Tae Kwon Do World Champion posed for photographer Yu Tsai in Jamaica for her debut in the 2025 magazine. The athlete, who played the role of Zara Malik on season 6 of Cobra Kai, was asked to pose for the magazine just a few days before she headed off to the Caribbean. It was an exciting milestone that went by quickly, and truthfully, it’s all still sinking in for the San Diego native.

Rayna Vallandingham was photographed by Yu Tsai in Jamaica. Swimsuit by DEPAREL. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

We caught up with the 22-year-old ahead of the SI Swimsuit official launch party on Thursday, May 15, at the Hard Rock Hotel New York, and she had the sweetest reflections while on the red carpet.

“I didn’t have a lot of time to process because I literally got booked for the shoot two days before I left for Jamaica,” she shares. “So I screamed, got on a plane, shot and now here I am, and I don’t know what’s happened. It’s [been] such a beautiful whirlwind. Every single woman here is not only stunning but also so kind. The whole SI [Swimsuit] team is amazing. It’s just been such a blast.”

Rayna Vallandingham was photographed by Yu Tsai in Jamaica. Swimsuit by DEPAREL. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

While she loves all her photos from her shoot, a few looks stood out: a beautiful pale blue and yellow string crocheted suit from DEPAREL and a colorful floral set from Lybethras. Vallandingham power posed on a boat in the cool, stringy two-pieces—she looked and felt phenomenal.

Rayna Vallandingham was photographed by Yu Tsai in Jamaica. Swimsuit by Lybethras. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“I felt so sexy, and those were the first looks we did, so it was perfect,” she says, adding that when she got to do some martial arts on the shore, those were also some of her favorites. “I don’t even remember the bikini because I was just looking at my martial arts posing. I’m like [thinking about] technique.”

Rayna Vallandingham was photographed by Yu Tsai in Jamaica. Swimsuit by Lybethras. / Rayna Vallandingham

Vallandingham, who is of Indian and Dutch descent, is also one of the few South Asian women to grace the pages of SI Swimsuit.

“[Representation] means so much to me in every single facet of life that I go down, whether it’s in film or martial arts,” she shares. “It’s something I’ve always held really close to my heart. Being a young Indian woman, I didn’t have that representation, so when I looked at magazines and I saw the same type of beautiful woman, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s amazing, but that’ll never be me realistically.’”

She is well aware and proud of the impact she’s having on young women of color, and hopes to continue in Hollywood and beyond.

Rayna Vallandingham was photographed by Yu Tsai in Jamaica. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus. Necklace by Ben-Amun. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“It’s just such a full circle moment for me to tell that little girl like, ‘Hey, you did it: something you never thought you could do.’ It’s really special,” she gushes. “Honestly, all I want to think about [is] young girls out there, and being able to inspire them in any way, like it’ll make me cry.”

The 2025 SI Swimsuit magazine is available online and at select newsstands now. Order your copy here.

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