Introducing Jennifer Atilémile, 2023 SI Swimsuit Rookie

The model and unique beauty advocate will make her debut in the magazine in May.

Jennifer Atilémile was photographed by Derek Kettela in Puerto Rico.Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Jennifer Atilémile took a tactical, well-rounded approach to her career in that she prioritized her education before pursuing work in the modeling industry. She earned a double master’s degree in international relations and journalism from Monash University in Melbourne before embarking on a career as a model.

Atilémile—who became Victoria’s Secret’s first Australian curve model in 2020—has worked with notable brands like Maybelline and Clarins, and this spring, she’ll make her debut in the SI Swimsuit Issue.

The 30-year-old model recently traveled to Puerto Rico, where she posed for photographer Derek Kettela. Atilémile said she was “over the moon” and “so excited” for her SI Swimsuit photo shoot and revealed that one model in particular inspired her time on set.

“I remember seeing Ashley Graham on the cover [of the 2016 SI Swimsuit Issue],” she shared. “I remember seeing that image I was like, ‘I wanna do that one day,’ and here I am.”

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The Australian-French model uses her platform to share her concept of unique beauty, in which she encourages her followers to embrace themselves just the way they are, a notion she practices in her own daily life.

“Everyone’s beautiful in their own way, and I really am grateful that I get to showcase my unique beauty,” she stated.

Atilémile said her concept of celebrating unique beauty is important to her because she worries that young people are growing up with unrealistic beauty standards in mind. She also mentioned that her heritage inspired her to find beauty everywhere.

“We should be celebrating everyone’s individual beauty. There’s eight billion people now in the world and there really, really is only one you, and that is so powerful and unique and special,” she shared.

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Atilémile said that the opportunity to work with SI Swimsuit came at just the right time. She stated that she reprioritized her goals and values during the COVID-19 pandemic and emerged more confident and ready to share herself with the world.

“The decision to do Sports Illustrated came from that,” she said. “There’s no better time like the present and I just really felt mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually… I was ready to jump in and give it my all.”

Meet Jennifer Atilémile—read the 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie’s full feature profile here.

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