Sports Illustrated has found its first Gen Z star in Gigi Robinson, an advocate for chronic pain awareness and body positivity who’s redefining what sexy looks like to the modern woman in the 2022 Swimsuit issue.
Robinson, alongside 13 other finalists and celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Ciara, Maye Musk and Yumi Nu, stars in the magazine’s summer editorial. After being selected as one of 13 finalists in Sports Illustrated’s worldwide swim scouting campaign, the 24-year-old model told the that she got noticed after editor MJ Day shared her story on LinkedIn. She told the outlet that she initially applied after seeing that Katie Austin, last year’s winner, was a University of South California alumna. Not only is Robinson a mental health advocate and TikTok influencer, but she’s also wrapping up her journey in higher education with a master’s degree.
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Once she got the call that she was a finalist, Robinson flew to Punta Cana for a photoshoot as part of Sports Illustrated’s 2022 Swimsuit issue—something she called a major “pinch-me moment” on Instagram.
“Winning Swim Search would show the world representation for the chronically ill community in an unprecedented way,” she told the brand. “Mental health and body image have been issues at the forefront over the past few years, but what we don’t always pay attention to is other invisible illnesses.”
Robinson was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome at the age of 11, a condition that makes her highly prone to injury and leaves her skin, joints, and tissues in pain. She and her family first found out about the diagnosis when she broke her elbow after doing a cartwheel. Her elbow took much longer to heal than expected, and she also fractured her ankle and tore a few ligaments a few months later—these alerted her doctors that she may have Ehlers-Danlos.
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Now that her debut in Sports Illustrated is out, Robinson has one message: “You can feel like shit and still look super sexy.
“My debut is symbolic of my journey as an advocate for so many things including mental health, body image, invisible illness all while being a student and entrepreneur,” she wrote on Instagram, moments after her debut went live. “I am so elated to be alongside all of the other fabulous swim search finalists, congrats to us.”
You can see Gigi Robinson’s full photoshoot inside the Sports Illustrated issue on newsstands May 19.
