WATCH: Camille Kostek Surprises Swim Search Winner Mady Dewey

It’s like the passing of the torch.

One of our favorite things at SI Swimsuit is getting to tell incredible women that they will be honored with a pictorial in the iconic magazine. Whether that’s breaking the news that someone landed the cover or was a finalist in the annual Swim Search, there’s nothing better than sharing the celebratory details. And we just did it again! Four years after Camille Kostek found out she would be named a rookie, the model was able to pay it forward by telling Mady Dewey she was the Swim Search winner and 2023 rookie.

Watch Camille Kostek Surprise Mady Dewey:

“You know that being part of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is so much more than shooting for the magazine. They call it a swim sisterhood when we’re a part of this, not because of the Swim Search community, but you don’t really know a rookie from a vet. So I really hope you got to feel that at Swim Week,” Kostek, who landed the cover of SI Swimsuit in 2019, first told Dewey.

She added, “You might have to practice a little more in the mirror because you have your rookie shoot coming up for 2023, and I want to know how you feel about that.”

Clearly, in shock at the news, Dewey simply said, “You’re kidding.”

But Kostek was being serious, adding, “Congratulations! You are the Swim Search winner and one of our new rookies for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2023. Welcome to the family!”

After it finally sunk in a bit and more members of the SI Swimsuit team—including editor in chief MJ Day—jumped on the Zoom call, Dewey was able to share her excitement. “I’m overwhelmed. I can’t even begin to thank you,” she said. “This is such an insane experience. It’s a dream come true.”

Dewey added, “I think I’ve gone through every single possible human emotion in the last hour. I’ve screamed, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried. I think I’m just overwhelmed and beyond grateful and so excited for what’s to come. It means the absolute world. It’s a dream come true. I’m just so excited for what’s to come.”

Kostek was the perfect choice to break the news because she knows just how being a Swim Search winner can help launch a career after being named a 2018 finalist and later the winner. Plus, she was the reason Dewey—an entrepreneur and podcaster—decided to enter the Swim Search.

“I’ve been a fan of SI Swimsuit since I was 14 years old, but I never thought that it was something that I would be able to do until I saw Camille Kostek,” Dewey previously told SI Swimsuit. “Seeing her go through the Swim Search process with a similar body type to mine changed everything. And I loved how she spoke about how she had never had the opportunity to model before, but it had always been a dream for her. It’s very similar to my story.”