Swim Search Finalist Raeann Langas Reveals the SI Swimsuit Model She Looks Up to Most

Here’s a hint: the Olympic athlete also walked the SI Swimsuit Runway during Swim Week.

Raeann Langas / John Parra/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

As a finalist in the 2025 Swim Search, model and content creator Raeann Langas had the opportunity to strut the SI Swimsuit Runway during Swim Week earlier this summer. The 31-year-old likened the experience to the plot of Miss Congeniality, the 2000 film starring Sandra Bullock.

“ I was really nervous going in because you don’t know what to expect,” Langas explains of her moment on the catwalk. “You kind of feel a lot of pressure, but every single girl there was so welcoming, so supportive, and it just automatically made me feel so at ease, like I was a part of something.”

Raeann Langas / John Parra/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated

The experience was a “dream come true” for the model, who says she felt empowered during her runway walk. And one particular SI Swimsuit model—who also appeared on the catwalk during Swim Week—is a person whom Langas really admires.

“Ilona [Maher]  is someone I look up to so much,” Langas tells SI Swimsuit. “I wish I had someone like her growing up [to look up to]. I’m 5' 11", I’m a big girl, I’ve never been small. To see her representing strong, powerful women and just being completely herself is so inspiring to me.”

Ilona Maher / Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Maher, a two-time SI Swimsuit model, first posed for the brand last year, when she was featured as the brand’s September 2024 digital cover model. The Olympic rugby player returned for the 2025 print publication, and was photographed in Bermuda. In addition to her athleticism, the 28-year-old athlete, whose personal mantra is “Beast, Beauty, Brains,” is known for using her platform to make others feel more at home in their own skin.

“I hope people see my photos and understand that strength can be so beautiful and so feminine,” Maher stated while on set in Bermuda. “And there’s so many different body types, and all are really made for the swimsuit.”

dark. Next. Voting Is Now Open for the 2025 SI Swim Search Winner. Voting Is Now Open for the 2025 SI Swim Search Winner