Love Letters From Our Future Self: Botswana 2026

While on set in Botswana for the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue, brand models Camille Kostek, Penny Lane, Alix Earle and Achieng Agutu, as well as rookie Meredith Mickelson, pen messages to their future selves. This segment is presented by Radiesse.

TRANSCRIPT

Earle: I am so proud of you for continuing to reach for the stars. You've pushed yourself out of your comfort zone, which has resulted in independence and growth.

Agutu: I love you, not for what you achieve or how you look, but for who you are. Your softness, your strength, your depth, they're all gifts.

Lane: I see you. I see how much is unfolding and how deeply you care about honoring this moment. The momentum you have isn't accidental. You earned it. You're stepping into a new phase, and it's O.K. to feel both grief and what you're leaving behind and the excitement of what's ahead. Your greatest strength is how you make people feel. You survived what could have hardened you, and you chose to stay open.

Kostek: I know you always say everything works in your favor, and I'm here to assure you that it really does. So be still, live and love each moment in the now. Everything you have ever dreamed of is happening. Slow down, do not worry and love all that you are as you are.

Mickelson: Every good thing around us came from taking chances. You never gave up, and that mattered more than talent ever did. You've loved, you've lost, but you've also gained more than you ever could have thought.

Earle: You've gone on journeys, you've made new friends, you've traveled, you've gone through hardships and experiences and all of that has made you who you are today. You even started off the year traveling to Botswana and shooting for SI Swimsuit, which couldn't have been a better start to this journey.

Lane: When doubt whispers that you don't belong, remember that you do. You're not an imposter. I'm already here living the life you're building, and I'm so grateful for you.

Mickelson: Thank you for always having my back. You trusted your instincts over outside noise. You took smart risks. Wherever you are when you read this, remember this life was built through choices, not luck. And yes, we're still hot.

Kostek: There is nothing getting in your way. What is meant for you will not pass you by. And the best is yet to come.

Agutu: Right now you are living a moment you once prayed for. Being on the SI Swimsuit shoot in Botswana is not an accident. It is proof of believing in yourself, even when it felt uncomfortable or lonely, was well worth it. Promise me you will always come back to yourself. Promise me you won't shrink your needs. Promise me you'll always walk away from anything that asks you to abandon your worth.