We’re just a few days away from the launch of the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
While there will be plenty of rookies included in this year’s issue, there will also be a handful of familiar faces returning.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Natalie Mariduena was returning for her second year in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Believe it or not, her rookie appearance in 2021 was her first photo shoot as a model.
Mariduena was shocked the SI Swim team wanted her back for the 2022 issue.
“[Last year] when I got the official phone call from MJ [Day], I was just in shock. I didn’t even think that was a possibility for somebody like me,” Mariduena said. “Even in Year two, I was like, ‘What? You guys want to bring me back? Are you crazy?’”
Mariduena’s second photo shoot with the SI Swim team took place in Belize. She opened up about this experience in a recent interview.
“Gosh, the Belize shoot was so much different than shooting in Miami last year, and I had so much fun. I think one of my most memorable moments from the shoot actually has nothing to do with me, but with DJ [Quintero], the hairstylist. I love him so much,” she said. “We were shooting in the river, and it was freezing cold. He’s walking and totally slips. This is the first shot of the day and he gets completely submerged under the water. He was just soaked for the rest of the day. It’s a rainforest climate, so it also kept raining on and off all day. We’d have to stop and go for cover. Other parts of the day, it would get really hot and really humid, which isn’t great for the hair!”
Check out Natalie Mariduena in the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
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