Who Is Entering SI Swimsuit’s 2022 Swim Search and Why?

This past weekend hundreds of women from all over the country came to Los Angeles to attend The Swimfluence Network Experience at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles. This event was all about networking and learning, but attendees also had the opportunity to film their casting videos onsite for Swim Search 2022. Swim Search is an open casting, and anyone who wants to enter, can do so. There are no age, height or weight restrictions whatsoever.

We spoke to attendees about what inspired them to come to the event and why they were entering Swim Search 2022. Some of their motivations might surprise you. Here are some of their answers.

Sarah Ahn, 31

“It doesn’t matter how old you are… what race, [what] you look like, just go out there and do it… I’m 31 and I’m going to be 32…It’s about networking and showing myself and proving to myself that you can do anything you set your heart to. It’s not about like, yeah, you’re going to be in a bathing suit. And you know, you have the potential to be in a magazine. That’s a big award and an accomplishment. But at the end of the day is the fact that I did what I wanted to do to get there, and nobody told me no.”

Leslie Trotter, 42

“I am entering Swim Search because I’ve been following the publication for 25 years since the days of Tyra and Shakara, and I would say only recently have I fully come into myself that I’ve had the confidence to apply for the publication. I’m a lifelong athlete. I’m a sprinter. I’ve been immersed in the arts my entire life. It’s a part of my career: painting, photography and fashion design. So all those elements combined, I feel directly aligned with the Sports Illustrated branding…[It took me] 42 years to feel fully formed, and now show the world what I have to offer.”

Lauren Kemmer, 30

“[I entered Swim Search] Because in the last year I’ve lost 90 pounds, which was all just about being smaller than my body was. And through that journey, I actually found myself... and it was so much bigger than losing weight and being smaller. It was about becoming who I was always meant to be.

Brianna Rush, 27

“I wanted to model all of my life. I literally have this picture of me at 16 in a bikini….I thought I was so cute, all these things, and then I feel like, I let all [of] the outside influences pull me down. I just thought I wasn’t good enough. I wasn't cute enough. I wasn’t skinny enough. I wasn’t all the things. I feel like SI has made me realize, I can do this...I can actually do these things in real life. So I’m here because I just wanted to feel the energy - and the energy here is insane. Now I feel I can literally go build a building tomorrow because everyone here is so nice, so uplifting. They all act like we can move mountains and I feel like you can move mountains after listening to and being around this environment.”

Sarah Brenner, 24

“‘I’m 24. I had my son when I was 17. He is now 6. I have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. So I didn't just get pregnant at 17. I got pregnant at 19 as well so a teen mom twice. When the whole Pay With Change [campaign] came out [it made me think] I am special because…I am worth it. I am this. I think most importantly for me, it was like, what is that one thing that used to define you and almost caused you trouble, that now you can like be like, I am a teen mom, and that's O.K. I have so much power in that. I can work with it. That is my story. I’m able to inspire other women with that. I can talk proudly about it, but I wasn’t able to before. And so to me, being able to walk around, it’s like showing your stigma, but being proud of it.”

Chelsea Likiardopoulos, 26

“Why am I entering Swim Search? I think I ask myself this question all the time and really what it comes down to [is that] Sports Illustrated knows that you’re a pretty face. They know that you are good in a bikini, but what really matters to them is creating moguls and creating these women that [are] like, ‘Hey yeah, look at me, but hear me, listen to me, see what I’m doing, see what I’m impacting in the world.’ And that’s something that I stand for through my platform - through environmentalism, veganism, health, wellness, all of that. I’m a changemaker and so is Sports Illustrated. And that’s why I want to be a part of Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit].”

Crissa Candler, 29

“I am here because I would like to elevate my career personally. I’ve been modeling for about nine years now and being a Sports Illustrated model is a dream for me. It would change my life. I really like what they’re doing now. I feel like they are opening up who they look for. One thing that I’ve really struggled with in this industry is feeling beautiful, feeling accepted. It’s all about measurements all the time. You know, like how tall are you? How wide are your hips?...So I’m here because I think this could take me to the next level.”

Toria Webber, 23

“I've been wanting to submit, come to the events and everything for years. I never got up the courage to do it…I’m finally feeling my most confident self, and I saw that this was happening in L.A. - where I live, finally, it’s usually Miami. Right? So, that’s why I’m here. I feel like this year, I really just made a commitment to myself to really get in touch with my highest self and know that I am worth anything. Anything is possible. Nothing is impossible. My dreams are limitless and like the world is mine, if I really want it.”

Olay Noel, 28

“I have always wanted to be a part of Sports Illustrated my entire life. I just love this energy. This community of all these beautiful women coming together is so inspiring. I grew up in a house full of women. I’m the youngest of three girls and raised by a single mother. So I’m all about women’s empowerment. We basically come from nothing because my family is from Guyana, and I just love being around women who want more for themselves and are excited to create the life that they want. I’m a firm believer in creating your life because I have so many loves and passions and then everyone’s like, Wait, you have to choose one...[but] I want to be able to explore all of [my] gifts, all of [my] creativity and create the life that I want fully.”

Vanessa Obeng, 28

“I'm entering Swim Search because I really appreciate not only women, but also sports. I’m a professional dancer for the Miami Heat, and I’m also in graduate school, studying to get my master’s in sports administration. I [want to] represent people who look like me, who are passionate not only about the arts, but [also] about learning and putting themselves in environments [where] no one looks like them. I think it’s important to just have representation.”

Hannah Sisson, 25

“I'm here to spread body positivity and hopefully I get to represent people that look like me. I’ve been watching Sports Illustrated for a while and whenever they have a plus-size model or someone who is size inclusive on there, it really makes me feel represented, and I feel like I want to represent people that look like me as well.” 

Kimberly Tran, 30

“[I’m entering] because I feel like Swim Search has the right platform for women to empower others. I work in an industry that’s very male dominated and I feel like having the support of all [these] women [we] can push through and actually influence some change. I'm a project manager [at a solar energy company] so I am surrounded by men all day. Sports Illustrated has influenced me to…stand [my] ground - you know - to make sure that I’m] valued and all the women that I’m surrounded by, they’ve been able to make me confident to do that.”

Emily Lefrancq, 25

“I am a cancer survivor. I had stomach cancer and I also had a double mastectomy and I don't see anybody else like me in the media very often. I was told I wasn't going to live to be 25. So every day has just been a bonus day since then. And I really just want to use my struggles and what I’ve been through to hopefully impact other people and to make a change in their lives because when I was in my position, I didn’t have anybody to look up to so I want to give that to somebody else.”

Megan Xio, 20

“I just love the overall brand that Sports Illustrated Swimsuit represents: diversity, inclusivity and empowering women. I think it’s a really great opportunity for women to really present who they are…[in an] authentic way.”

Carlisle Cooper, 22

“I'm entering the Sports Illustrated Swim Search this year because I’m really aligned with the whole new idea of Pay With Change and gender equality. As someone who wants to become an attorney, I’m entering a career field with only 2% of female lawyers being black females. And, you know, women have to work twice as hard to be considered half as good. So this is a movement I really would love to spearhead with Sports Illustrated and be a catalyst for change with them.”

Joely Live, 23

“I'm doing Swim Search because it’s been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old. I was a Sports Illustrated Kids reporter when I was 10, and ever since then I’ve been obsessed with a Sports Illustrated brand and have always flipped through the magazine, growing up and seeing all the beautiful women through the pages. That’s what I want. That’s what I want to do… It’s so inspiring that you can come from anywhere, and [that is] so empowering. So that’s why I’m trying out, because it’s an amazing community to be able to be a part of. “