SI Swim Star Lais Ribeiro Was a Neon Beach Babe in the Bahamas

The model and mom of two has posed for the brand four separate years.

Lais Ribeiro was photographed by Ben Watts in the Bahamas. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Four-time SI Swimsuit model Lais Ribeiro has blown the brand away with her confidence, professionalism, beauty and radiance each and every time she has posed for the franchise. From the waterfalls of Sumba Island, Indonesia and the beaches of the Bahamas to the lush green gardens of Costa Rica and the dreamy coastal views of Sacramento, Calif., the 33-year-old knows the power and magic of great lighting, expert photographers and having team of hair and makeup gurus. But, she’s also a firm believer in the idea that true beauty really all lies within.

“Beauty means confidence, for sure,” Ribeiro told the brand. “I think you have to be comfortable in your own skin, like you have to accept yourself. When I was a child, I was embarrassed of myself because I was pretty skinny and I had like the biggest knees, and I didn’t feel beautiful because a lot of people would just keep telling me I wasn’t. So when I accepted myself the way I was, you know, I just am and I’m like this and I feel beautiful in my own skin, that’s when I feel confident.”

The Brazilian supermodel, who has walked the runway for Chanel, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and more and appeared in campaigns for Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, GAP and Dorne, has been in this industry for a long time. Earlier this year, she welcomed her second child, and first with husband Joakim Noah, former pro basketball player. She announced the news in August, with the most stunning, magnificent water maternity pics taken in Maui, Hawai’i, when she was 25 weeks pregnant. She is already a mom to her teenage son, Alexandre, while the 39-year-old athlete has two kids, Emaan and Leia from a previous relationship.

“Having a child changes everything, obviously. Yes, it’s motivated me more to be the best person I can be and to be a true role model for him,” Ribeiro gushed in an interview as an iconic Victoria’s Secret Angel a decade ago, and the statement holds true today.

Below are some of our most favorite images from her 2018 SI Swimsuit photo shoot with Ben Watts in the Bahamas. Ribeiro flaunted her sculpted abs and sun-kissed glow in the most fun and flirty series of neon swimwear.

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated