Berkleigh Wright Joins SI Swimsuit for 60th Anniversary Issue

The 2023 Swim Search co-winner posed for the magazine in Belize.

Cara O’Bleness | Apr 30, 2024

Berkleigh Wright was photographed by Derek Kettela in Belize. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Model, NFL cheerleader and technical account manager/analyst Berkleigh Wright was revealed as SI Swimsuit’s newest 2024 rookie today. The 29-year-old Kansas native recently traveled to Belize for her photo shoot with Derek Kettela, and Wright said her experience on set with the team greatly exceeded her expectations.

“Today has been just unlike anything that I could have ever imagined in my head,” Wright stated of her time on location in Central America. “We shot five looks this morning and they just all went so fast. I felt so comfortable and natural and beautiful and the support and love I got was incredible.”

A co-winner of last year’s Swim Search, Wright noted that she chose to apply for the open casting call because of how well her own personal values align with SI Swimsuit’s brand ethos.

“I took this leap of faith because I feel that Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] is a world-class organization that embodies everything I strive to be as a woman,” Wright said. “It extends beyond beauty: they stand for being a strong individual with depth, brains, kindness and integrity. A brand that celebrates everyone’s differences, exhibiting that our imperfections are what makes us beautiful. SI Swim helped me embrace those ideals in myself, and now I strive to imprint that mindset in others.”

Ahead of the 2024 SI Swimsuit Issue’s release in May, take a sneak peek at a few of Wright’s initial photos from Belize here.

Read more about Berkleigh Wright’s 2024 SI Swimsuit photo shoot here.

Published Apr 30, 2024

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.