The final model for this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has been revealed: four-time veteran and former cover star Camille Kostek.
Camille, 29, who is a former dancer and New England Patriots cheerleader, proves her expertise in a series of stunning swimwear sH๏τs, showing off her incredible figure while posing up a storm on a Florida beach.
The blonde bombshell made her debut in the magazine back in 2018 after winning the annual Swim Search compeтιтion, which seeks out women from across the country to star in the pages of the iconic issue.
Since then, she has appeared in the magazine every year, posing alongside a host of famous faces and up-and-comers, and even landed the cover of the publication in 2019 – an honor that she celebrated alongside her NFL star boyfriend Rob Gronkowski in Miami that same year.
Unlike previous years, which have seen the magazine shoot its models in exotic locations across the world, 2021’s Swimsuit spreads were pH๏τographed a little closer to home amid the ongoing pandemic – with Camille shooting her images in Hollywood, Florida, just a short distance from her new home in Tampa.
The former cheerleader moved to the Sunshine State with her boyfriend – who is known to his fans as Gronk – when he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alongside his former Patriots teammate Tom Brady.
Camille was by Gronk’s side to celebrate the team’s Super Bowl win earlier this year, however she is now marking her own milestone moment: her fourth year posing for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
Speaking about the personal significance of her return to the magazine’s pages, Camille explained how posing in the Swimsuit Issue has changed her perceptions of beauty, and helped to boost her confidence.
Beauty to me is the way you make people feel… Having peace in your heart, kindness, just being gentle with people,’ she said in a behind-the-scenes video from her shoot.
‘Energy speaks. Every time that you meet somebody, it’s an energetic exchange.’
She continued: ‘I am a true fan of [Sports Illustrated Swimsuit] and it’s because it ignited something in me to be like, “Oh my god you can love you as you.”‘
Camille also shared some advice about how to build up your confidence, explaining that her ‘greatest’ tip is to avoid comparison – although she admits that is much easier said that done.
‘My greatest advice is not to compare yourself to other people,’ she said. ‘And it sounds so much easier said than done. Everyone is unique and there’s no two people that are the same. Think about that. There is never going to be another you.’
Sharing the news of her latest SI Swim feature on Instagram, Camille wrote: ‘All the feels. So blessed to be back. [I love you] @si_swimsuit.
Overjoyed and grateful.’
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editor MJ Day was full of praise for Camille, noting that she is ‘following in the footsteps’ of some of the magazine’s ‘biggest success stories’ by using her role in the publication as a launching pad for other projects.
‘Camille has grown up with SI Swimsuit,’ MJ explained. ‘From submitting her first casting video, winning 2018’s Swim Search and landing her first magazine cover to hosting a national television show, Camille is following in the footsteps of some of SI Swimsuit’s biggest success stories.
‘She has used her platform not only to advocate for body positivity but also as a way to connect with and inspire young adults to love themselves and enjoy life.
‘Camille’s willingness to go the extra mile for everyone in her orbit makes her a cornerstone of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.’
The former dancer is the final SI Swim star to be revealed ahead of the publication of this year’s Issue, which will be released in July of this year. The magazine has not yet named its 2021 cover star.
However Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has built up plenty of interest and excitement in the launch of this year’s publication by announcing a new star on Instagram every day throughout the month of March – from veterans like Josephine Skriver and Lais Ribeiro to a former pediatric oncology nurse who went back to work in hospitals in the pandemic.
Last week, SI Swim announced that Louisiana-born model Brooks Nader would be returning to the Issue for her third year in a row.
Much like Camille, the Baton Rouge-born fashion star made her debut in the publication after winning the Swim Search compeтιтion, and she has since become one of the most popular faces in the pages of the magazine.
Speaking about Brooks’ return to the Issue, MJ waxed lyrical about her ‘dedication’ to the brand, noting that she has helped to ‘mentor’ dozens of other budding models since landing her first shoot.
‘We have loved Brooks since the minute we met her,’ the SI Swim editor said. ‘After winning Swim Search in 2019, she fully dedicated herself to engaging with our Swim Search community by acting as a support system and mentor for other inspiring models.
She’s taken it upon herself to help pave the way for other individuals and we are so grateful to her for that!’
Another boundary breaker making her return to the magazine this year is model Valentina Sampaio, who made history as the first transgender model to pose for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue back in 2020.
The magazine announced earlier this month that the 24-year-old has been pH๏τographed for the new issue, and shared a sneak peak at her stunning Hollywood shoot on Instagram today.
In a series of Sєxy new images, Valentina poses in ʙικιɴιs and cut-out one-pieces, smiling and offering a smoldering stare to the camera.
The young model has already broken through a lifetime of boundaries in her career, but it got off to a rough start.
She told BuzzFeed that she scored her first job in an ad campaign for a clothing company in 2014, but was fired when the company — which she wouldn’t name — found out she was trans.
‘It was a really difficult moment. It was like I was wrong to be in that place, like I didn’t belong there. But my reaction was just to get out of that situation,’ she said.
But she has since booked gigs with L’Oreal, Dior, H&M, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, and Philipp Plein, and in 2017, was the first trans model to appear on the cover of Vogue Paris.
She also went on to pose for Vogue Brasil and Vogue Germany, as well as Vanity Fair Italia and Elle Mexico.
In 2019, she was the first transgender model for Victoria’s Secret, and the next year she was named an SI Swim Rookie.
Gushing about Valentina’s appearance in this year’s issue, editor MJ Day called the model ‘one of the most breathtakingly beautiful women I have ever met.’
External attributes aside, her sweet, gentle nature coupled with her fearless work for acceptance and respect in the trans community and her commitment to advocacy should serve as a reminder to all that who we are is never defined by one singular categorization,’ she wrote.
‘Being a part of Valentina’s story and working together to bring awareness and equality is an honor and a privilege for the entire SI Swimsuit team.’
