These SI Swimsuit Trailblazers Touched Down in Tampa and Changed the Game

Leyna Bloom, Kathy Jacobs, Yumi Nu and Katrina Scott have all etched their names into the SI Swimsuit history books.

Leyna Bloom and Katrina Scott were photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

These members of SI Swimsuit’s 2021 rookie class would each make history with the brand, and it all started with these photoshoots in the Sunshine State.

Katrina Scott

Katrina Scott was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. Swimsuit by Matte Collection. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Scott’s first feature with the magazine in Tampa earned the model Rookie of the Year honors, and her second shoot, from St. Croix, made history—when she became the first visibly pregnant model to appear in the fold.

“In this issue, I hope to represent all the women out there that are creating life, feeling all the feels, and embracing change as they look to the future, especially those having difficult fertility journeys,” the now-mother of five stated. “I am with you, and you are never alone.”

Yumi Nu

Yumi Nu was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. Swimsuit by Castamira. Earrings by SOKO. Necklace by Lili Claspe. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Nu was the first Asian plus-size model to grace the pages of SI Swimsuit when she posed in Tampa, and the first to appear on its cover during her sophomore stint with the brand in Montenegro.

“I’ve been getting a ton of messages from Asian plus-size women who are like, ’Oh my God, if I had this representation when I was growing up,’ and I'm like ’Me too!’” the model told Extra TV after her first appearance. Further cementing her legacy with a cover, Nu told PEOPLE, “It truly shattered the ceiling of what I knew to be possible for myself. I’m eternally grateful.”

Leyna Bloom

Leyna Bloom was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. Swimsuit by Gil Rodriguez. Earrings by SOKO. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

The first Black and Asian transgender model to join the brand, Bloom was also the first transgender model on its cover, the same year as her rookie debut. “I never imagined that I would be born in the time when something like this would happen for someone with my skin tone, and [for] someone with my background,” the model told Good Morning America.

She dedicated her cover to “the Black girls, the Asian girls, the LGBTQ+ community,” adding, “This is my moment, and I’m so proud of myself for that. But it’s also our moment, and we’re going to take it and keep stepping into our power.”

Kathy Jacobs

Kathy Jacobs was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. Swimsuit by BFYNE. Earrings by 8 Other Reasons. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Jacobs became the oldest SI Swimsuit rookie ever during her 2021 feature after she was declared the co-winner of the magazine’s Swim Search competition alongside Tanaye White. The following year, Maye Musk became the oldest first-timer at 74, and Martha Stewart secured the title with her 2023 cover shoot at age 83.

Jacobs shared on set, “I’m almost 57, I’m not even 5-[foot]-3, so just to have people accept me as I am, it helps other women to be able to accept themselves how they are.”

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