Upworthy’s book GOOD PEOPLE is coming this year — pre-order now!

Shop
 Explore 

sports illustrated

Culture

Valentina Sampaio is Sports Illustrated's first transgender swimsuit model

assets.rebelmouse.io

For the first time in its 56-year history, Sports Illustrated will feature a transgender model on its glossy cover. 23-year-old Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio will appear in the July issue, which hits stands early next week. Sampaio wrote on Instagram that she was "excited and honored" to be part of such an iconic issue, adding: "The team at SI has created yet another groundbreaking issue by bringing together a diverse set of multitalented, beautiful women in a creative and dignified way."

A native of Fortaleza, a city in northeastern Brazil, Sampaio has been making history in the fashion world in recent years. She was already the first trans model to make the 2017 cover of Vogue Paris. Scouted while she was a young teen, she quickly made her way onto key runways in her home country. She managed to make an impression in a short time— launching her career at 18 years old—as L'Oréal Paris's first trans model. She hit another milestone last year, when she was the face of Victoria's Secret campaign, breaking barriers as the first trans woman working with the brand.

See on Instagram

"Being trans usually means facing closed doors to peoples' hearts and minds," she wrote on Instagram. "We face snickers, insults, fearful reactions and physical violations just for existing. Our options for growing up in a loving and accepting family, having a fruitful experience at school or finding dignified work are unimaginably limited and challenging."

Sampaio mentions on her social media that her success hasn't come easy, as she's fighting against discrimination and using her voice and platform to advocate for LGBTQ rights. I feel strong and I feel inspired to fight," she wrote. "Not just for me, but for everyone who face[s] discrimination."

Even though our world is slowly changing, Sampaio claims that she was born trans in a remote fishing village, and although she loves her beautiful country, she doesn't feel accepted in Brazil. "It has the highest crime and murder rate against the trans community," she wrote.

According to a report filed by two transgender activists at the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights panel in D.C. on Sept. 13, 2019, 163 trans people were reported murdered in Brazil in 2018. According to The Blade, it represents 47% of all reported murders of transgender people globally. One of the activists, Bruna Benevides of Associação Nacional dos Travestis e Transsexuais (ANTRA), claimed "a trans person is killed every 48 hours in Brazil."

With Sampaio's visibility and voice, she's quoted by Sports Illustrated's Instagram account, claiming that she hopes to "give the world a good message of love and respect for every kind of human, for everyone." The magazine made sure to stand with her vision and support her cause for inclusion on their socials. SI notes that discrimination will absolutely not be tolerated. If you violate their conditions, they say "you will be deleted, blocked and reported."

Kudos to Sampaio for all her success and her vision for a brighter tomorrow.

From Your Site Articles

Mara Martin was chosen as one of the Sports Illustrated Swim Search finalists just five months after giving birth.

Sports Illustrated named the young mom one of its Sweet 16 finalists during a model search in Miami. But Martin took balancing motherhood and work to another level when she walked the runway while breastfeeding her 5-month-old baby.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Instagram account shared a video of Martin with her baby cradled in her arms, nursing away, with the comment "GIRL POWER!"

GIRL POWER! 🙌🏼 #SISwimSearch Sweet 16 finalist Mara walks the runway while breastfeeding her five-month-old baby. @paraisofashionfair
A post shared by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@si_swimsuit) on Jul 15, 2018 at 7:38pm PDT

Reactions to the video were predictably mixed, but Martin's response to the attention deserves a standing ovation.

Some people felt that seeing a mom breastfeeding unabashedly in public — while doing her job — was an empowering statement. Others, unsurprisingly, found it icky/gross/unattractive/etc. Some simply called it a silly publicity stunt.

But Martin's response to the media frenzy proves that she's just as badass as her fans made her out to be and not just because she fed her baby in an unconventional place.

First, Martin took to Instagram to first explain how breastfeeding is totally normal.

"I can’t believe I am waking up to headlines with me and my daughter in them for doing something I do every day," she wrote. "It is truly so humbling and unreal to say the least. I’m so grateful to be able to share this message and hopefully normalize breastfeeding and also show others that women CAN DO IT ALL!"

Wow! WHAT A NIGHT! Words can’t even describe how amazing I feel after being picked to walk the runway for @si_swimsuit. Anyone who knows me, knows it has been a life long dream of mine. I can’t believe I am waking up to headlines with me and my daughter in them for doing something I do every day. It is truly so humbling and unreal to say the least. I’m so grateful to be able to share this message and hopefully normalize breastfeeding and also show others that women CAN DO IT ALL! But to be honest, the real reason I can’t believe it is a headline is because it shouldn’t be a headline!!! My story of being a mother and feeding her while walking is just that. Last night there are far more deserving headlines that our world should see. One woman is going to boot camp in two weeks to serve our country (sorry i don’t know your IG handle 🤦🏽‍♀️), one woman had a mastectomy (@allynrose), and another is a cancer survivor, 2x paralympic gold medalist, as well as a mother herself (@bren_hucks you rock) Those are the stories that our world should be discussing!!!! Just thinking about all that was represented there... I desperately need to give the most thanks to @mj_day for this. She supported me in what I did last night. Without her support this wouldn’t even be discussed!!!! She and the entire Sports Illustrated family are the most amazing and incredible team to have worked with. THANK YOU for letting all 16 of us be our true selves, strong beautiful women!!! Because of you, my daughter is going to grow up in a better world, where she will always feel this way!!!!!! Lastly, to every single woman that rocked that runway with me. Be proud. I know I am of you! You all have inspired me in ways unimaginable. I love you all!!! #siswimsearch
A post shared by Mara Martin (@_maramartin_) on Jul 16, 2018 at 8:32am PDT

"But to be honest, the real reason I can’t believe it is a headline is because it shouldn’t be a headline!!!" she continued. "My story of being a mother and feeding her while walking is just that."

We may not be used to seeing a model on the runway nursing a baby, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. For many breastfeeding moms, nursing on-the-go is a way of life, and not something that needs to be hidden away from the public eye.

Then she directed the attention away from herself and placed it on her deserving colleagues.

"Last night there are far more deserving headlines that our world should see," Martin wrote, before describing the incredible women she shared the stage with. "One woman is going to boot camp in two weeks to serve our country (sorry i don’t know your IG handle 🤦🏽‍♀️), one woman had a mastectomy (@allynrose), and another is a cancer survivor, 2x paralympic gold medalist, as well as a mother herself (@bren_hucks you rock) Those are the stories that our world should be discussing!!!!"

Indeed, some of the women in the Sweet 16 are impressive women. Allyn Rose chose to have a double mastectomy after losing her mother and grandmother to breast cancer, and she gave a TED Talk on "The Power of Redefining Breasts." Brenna Huckaby is a cancer survivor who has won two gold medals in the Paralympics, and is a finalist for ESPN's Athlete with a Disability ESPY award.

— (@)

Kudos to Mara Martin not only for breastfeeding on the runway but for shining the spotlight on those who have done more consequential things than simply feed a hungry baby.

Wear your values with products from PSA Supply Co., an independent site owned by our parent company, GOOD Worldwide Inc. GOOD makes money when you buy these products, and 10% of profits go to The Center for Community Change Action. Use discount code UPWORTHY to get 15% off your first order!

Serena Williams gives an inspiring speech, remains the greatest ever.

The SI Sportsperson of the Year doesn't disappoint.

Serena Williams is a badass. This is a well-established fact.

And 2015 has been a pretty amazing year for her. She won three Grand Slam titles, shut down body-shamers, pushed back against pushy reporters, got some major praise from one of tennis' greats, struck a powerful pose in a world-famous calendar, and deservedly took home Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year award.

Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.

On Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, she gave one powerhouse of a speech at the Sportsperson of the Year awards ceremony.

It's the type of speech that'll inspire you to get up and start checking things off that long-neglected to-do list. It's the type of speech that sounds like it belongs in a commercial for something ungodly expensive. It's the type of speech that'll make you want to be a better you.

It's the type of speech that stresses the message that yes, sometimes things in life are stacked against you, but no, that doesn't mean you're doomed to failure. You, like Serena, can overcome.

GIFs from Sports Illustrated.

She's faced criticism for her looks, her gender, and her race — but she won't stand for it.

Earlier this year, The New York Times published an article focused on her looks.

And, not only that, some interviewed in the article even suggested that Williams, a very muscular 5'9", was somehow less a woman as a result of how she looks.

In her speech, she had a few things to say about that and about criticism she's received because she is a black woman.

She shut down doubters who underestimated her resolve and declared her career done-and-over years ago.

She's won 21 Grand Slam titles over 16 years (and she's quick to remind us all that she's not done). And at 34 years old — ancient in professional athlete years — she's still crushing the competition. Just three titles away from tying the all-time record, she's got a shot.

But perhaps the best part of Williams speech was her reading of Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise."

It's a powerful poem about overcoming society's expectations, about pushing back against oppression and succeeding in a world that wants nothing more than to see a black woman fail. The full poem, as read by Maya Angelou, can be found here.

From Your Site Articles

Serena Williams came up with her own Sports Illustrated cover. And it shows.

Serena Williams is Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year.

If you're wondering why, I'd guess you're just now crawling out from under your rock. (Just kidding ... sort of.)

Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

Williams' Sports Illustrated cover is just what you'd expect: fine, fresh, fierce, and exactly what she had in mind.

The cover reflects her own expression of "femininity, strength & power," the outlet reported on Twitter. And it doesn't disappoint.

But the December issue isn't just fabulous — it's historic, too. The magazine's decision to honor her marked the first time an individual woman snagged the accolade since track star Mary Decker back in 1983.

It's about damn time.

On the tennis court, Williams has steamrolled the competition. Off of it, she demanded better of humanity.

As Sports Illustrated noted, Williams has (yet again) dominated women's tennis, winning 53 of 56 matches and maintaining a #1 ranking throughout the year, for the second year in a row.

Just as admirably, Williams lent her voice to several causes — from combating racial injustice to promoting women's equality and silencing body-shaming haters — and has made no apologies for her outspokenness along the way.

Williams has been an icon and a role model in her own right for years.

As a kid, when asked who she'd like to emulate if she were a famous tennis player, she had one helluva answer: "I'd like other people to be like me."

That confidence grew up along with her, too, and it shows — like when she's defending herself against ridiculous, sexist questions from reporters or brushing off body-shamers who try to bring her down.

"I embrace me," she told "Good Morning America" in response to her critics. "I love how I look. I love that I'm a full woman and I'm strong and I'm powerful and I'm beautiful at the same time. There's nothing wrong with that. "

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.

Of course, as with all major awards and honors, there's been some controversy over Williams landing the coveted Sportsperson of the Year slot. Some readers are upset she was chosen for the award over racehorse American Pharoah (which is odd, because the award does go to a sportsperson).

There was also some chatter about her cover being sexualized. But, again, Williams was in control of how she was portrayed — and it's not like past Sportsperson of the Year covers haven't been a bit steamy anyway (yeah that's right, Michael Phelps, I'm talking to you).

No matter what people say, the fact is: Serena Williams is more than deserving of this honor.

The recognition she gets from it may mean the best for her has yet to come.

“This year was spectacular,” Williams said, according to Reuters."For Sports Illustrated to recognize my hard work, dedication and sheer determination with this award gives me hope to continue on and do better."

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.