These 6 Pics Prove Why Alexis Ren Earned SI Swim Rookie of the Year

The influencer posed for the 2018 issue in Aruba.

Cara O’Bleness | Oct 24, 2023

Alexis Ren was photographed by Yu Tsai in Aruba.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Model and media personality Alexis Ren was featured in the 2018 SI Swimsuit Issue when she posed for photographer Yu Tsai in Aruba.

The California native rocked several stunning bikinis and bold one-pieces while on location, and after seeing the resulting snapshots from her session, there’s no question why she earned Rookie of the Year honors.

Ren, who has 18 million followers on Instagram, got her start as an influencer back on Tumblr and YouTube, where she used social media to create a community while being home-schooled. In addition to her work as a model, actress and social media influencer, the 26-year-old is also the founder of We Are Warriors, a wellness community for women.

At the time of her SI Swimsuit photoshoot five years ago, Ren shared an important message with her fans, which still rings true today: “You are enough. It’s O.K. not to be O.K. You’re not alone. Those are the top three things I go off the bat about. I love talking to [fans] because I love seeing where my presence in this world has affected their own life. To know I affected a person thousands of miles away just because I lived my life to the fullest as much as I possibly can and I inspired them to do the same. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Below are a few of our favorite captures from Ren’s SI Swimsuit photoshoot in Aruba.

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Published Oct 24, 2023

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara O’Bleness is a writer and editor on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Prior to joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, O’Bleness loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism.