SI Swimsuit Swim Search Profile Spotlight: Mai Manol

Get to know the Hawaii-born fitness entrepreneur and founder of Mai Body.

Mai Manol

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Swim Search isn’t just an open casting call— it’s a movement redefining beauty, confidence and inclusivity. As the ultimate open casting call, Swim Search provides aspiring models from all backgrounds, shapes and sizes the chance to grace the pages of one of the most iconic magazines in the world. It’s a platform that celebrates empowerment, diversity and breaking industry norms.

Since its inception in 2018, women from all over the world send in why they want to be a part of the SI Swimsuit brand. In the past, SI Swimsuit talent like Katie Austin and Christen Goff, who were co-winners in 2021, have made their debuts in the competition. This duo happens to be best friends, which, Goff shared, made the process that much better.

The 2025 Swim Search competition to find the next rookie for the 2026 issue is underway until March 31, 2025. Apply for the 2025 program here.

Meet Kamaile ‘Mai’ Manol

Hawaii-born Mai Manol has spent her whole life in a swimsuit. She began modeling at a young age, but then the modeling agency that represented her dropped her because she gained muscle from sports. The now 23-year-old didn’t let that stop her and modeled on her own and continued with her athletics playing Division One volleyball.

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Her degree in business management and entrepreneurship, along with her passion for fitness, led her to become a certified personal trainer, cognitive fitness coach and founder of MAI BODY METHOD: a unique, neuroscience-driven approach to sustained fat loss. She is also the founder of Sunrise Club, a social workout group in her hometown of Kailua.

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Manol uses her platform to also share her acne journey in hopes of “empowering women to feel beautiful in their skin,” she says. In an Instagram post, she also noted her applying again for the Swim Search: “Every year for the past five years, when I write down my New Year’s goals, SI Swim Rookie is always at the top of the list. @si_swimsuit has resonated with me in ways I can’t even describe. They represent confident, strong, empowered, and resilient women, and being a part of that team would be my biggest dream come true.”