Roshumba Williams Has a Deeply Personal Connection to PINKTOBER Mission

The SI Swimsuit legend is bringing attention to breast cancer awareness in partnership with SI Swimsuit and Hard Rock International.

Roshumba Williams was photographed by Katherine Goguen at the Hard Rock Hotel New York. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. Aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. women. This October, SI Swimsuit is committed to providing resources for breast cancer patients while sharing the stories of warriors who have been impacted by the disease. For more information, click here.

SI Swimsuit legend Roshumba Williams is the friend you can always count on. When three of her dearest friends were each diagnosed with breast cancer within a nine month span of one another, she sprang into action. While each of those women in her life experienced their own unique journey with breast cancer, Williams made sure she was there to aid her loved ones along the way. Whether that meant flying across the country to be by their side or comforting her girlfriends ahead of big surgeries, the 57-year-old model and fashion correspondent has made it her mission to offer her support. It’s why participating in Hard Rock International’s PINKTOBER campaign in partnership with SI Swimsuit for Breast Cancer Awareness Month was so important to her.

Roshumba Williams was photographed by Katherine Goguen at the Hard Rock Hotel New York. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

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“When this came up, my heart, you know, leaped out of my chest, and I couldn’t believe that these two incredible brands were coming together to help spread this message and tell this story,” Williams says. “It was so closely related to what I was actually going through as a support system for my friends, as a woman, for women’s health, and it’s everything. It’s pretty incredible.”

Roshumba Williams was photographed by Katherine Goguen at the Hard Rock Hotel New York. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Williams traveled to the Hard Rock Hotel New York to pose for the 26th annual PINKTOBER campaign, which was photographed by Katherine Goguen. The campaign features a limited-edition retail collection of T-shirts, hoodies, pins, hats, tumblers and tote bags modeled by Williams and fellow SI Swimsuit stars Nicole Williams English and Jasmine Sanders. Proceeds from the merchandise collection will benefit the Hard Rock Heals Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2016 that aims to bring awareness to various causes through the power of music.

Roshumba Williams was photographed by Katherine Goguen at the Hard Rock Hotel New York. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

With her participation in the campaign, Williams hopes to share the message that “breast cancer is not a death sentence. It is curable.” She also aims to remind women that early detection can save lives, so it’s vitally important to stay up to date on annual mammograms. As for those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or who have survived the disease, “You are not alone,” Williams states. “We can stick together through this. There is unity and strength in numbers.”

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