Brooks Nader on Her Amazing ‘I Told You So’ Moment After Landing SI Swimsuit

Brooks Nader returns to SI Swim for her fourth consecutive year, after making her debut via SI Swim Search open casting call back in 2019.

Ahead of her first-ever cover for the magazine, Nader looked back on the casting call process in 2019, which she admits she was skeptical of at first, and shared how it turned into an empowering, “I told you so,” moment that helped launch her career.

“I went to open casting call, I waited for hours, I did the whole thing. And I was with a modeling agency and I was like, ‘Why is this my avenue? I could totally go into the New York office and go to a casting,’” said Nader. “But it was more empowering to go through that channel, all because it was more rewarding when I got that ‘yes.’ 

“It was also rewarding because in the modeling industry at that time I was getting a ton of nos, and then MJ Day gives me that stamp of approval and everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, now we want to work with you,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m empowered. Yeah, I told you so,’” Nader laughed. 

Check out Brooks Nader’s entire SI Swimsuit photoshoot.

“I feel like I used to think being strong is like, ‘I can do anything on my own, I don’t need anybody’s help. I got this.’ But I feel like surrounding yourself with likeminded people keeps me strong,” Nader says, looking back on how the experience has changed her mindset. “That’s what keeps my strength going, just having people around me that lift me up and that are positive and not negative people.”

Check out full coverage of the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.