Paige Spiranac made her SI Swimsuit Issue debut in 2018 when the then-24-year-old posed for photographer James Macari in Aruba.Spiranac, 29, was a Division I golfer at both the University of Arizona and San Diego State University before she went on to play professionally
. Today, the now-retired athlete is a social media personality who doesn’t shy away from weighing in on hot topics like female athletes showing off their bodies for NIL deals and best practices for recruiting college athletes.
Ahead of her debut SI Swimsuit photo shoot, Spiranac said she tried to emulate other models, but SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day advised her to just be herself.“I think [that] was the moment when I stopped comparing myself to them and was just kind of like, ‘OK, this is my shoot,’” she said. Her photo shoot in Aruba empowered her like never before—she called the experience “liberating” and said it one of the best days of her life.
“I just felt so strong and I’ve never felt so strong and confident and sexy before,” Spiranac said.“To finally embrace this sexy side and be confident and love who I am and love the skin I’m in, it was a really powerful moment and I’m so thankful,” she continued.
