Chanel Iman Poses in Belize for Swimsuit’s 60th Anniversary Issue

The supermodel and mom of three made her debut with the franchise a decade ago.

Chanel Iman was photographed by Derek Kettela in Belize. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit model Chanel Iman is returning to the franchise to celebrate its 60th anniversary. The 33-year-old, who made her debut in Madagascar a decade ago, traveled to Belize with photographer Derek Kettela for the upcoming issue.

She admitted that after three kids and some time away from the brand, posing in a swimsuit felt a little different.

“You forget as a mom, like, ‘Damn. You got it girl,’” Iman said. “Everyone in the crew makes you feel so incredible and so beautiful. I just had a baby four months ago and here I am working as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. I always feel the energy. It is a special energy.”

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Iman has been a lifelong champion of inclusivity in the industry. She’s not afraid to admit that there was a true lack of diversity on runways and in magazines when she was starting out and, while there has been some progress, there is always room for more.

When breaking into fashion and modeling, Iman noticed herself facing an added layer of challenges as a Black woman. But she was tough, and never let herself conform to a very narrow beauty standard.

“It’s cool to be different,” she added. “I love the fact that I was unique and that I had to work that much harder to make it because it means so much more to me now, because I did make it. And I’m still here. And I’m not going anywhere. I’m so grateful to be in the position that I am in, to actually have a voice.”

Iman shares her two older daughters, Cali, 5, and Cassie, 4, with her ex-husband, Sterling Shepard. She and husband Davon Godchaux welcomed baby girl Capri last September.

“My little girls are my life. They are my world. This is why I continue to do what I do,” she gushed. “I do it for them. I [constantly] let them know that they are loved, they are worthy and they’re capable of doing anything in the world.”

Iman and the NFL defensive tackle tied the knot earlier this year, surrounded by their loved ones, while on a on a yacht in the Caribbean Sea. The couple named their newborn after the Italian city where Godchaux, 29, proposed.