Kathy Jacobs says it is important not to dismiss people because of their age or height. She should know that the 56-year-old is a new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model.
Jacobs, from Calabasas, California, and who is 5 feet 3 inches, hopes her appearance on the topic will help change readers’ views on beauty.
“I am so grateful that they took a chance on me,” says Jacobs. “Two things you can’t change about yourself are how old you are and how tall you are.”
The 2020 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is online and on newsstands Tuesday. The cover features a trio of models: Olivia Culpo, Jasmine Sanders, and Kate Bock, who also have individual covers.
The original edition of the swimsuit was published in 1964. It has been a launch pad for models like Kathy Ireland, Christie Brinkley, Elle Macpherson, Kate Upton and Ashley Graham.
Over the years, the problem has tried to stay cool, with painted bikinis, plus-size models, raw photos, small swimsuits, amputee models, older models, and the incorporation of professional athletes and celebrities into the relations.
“That’s what’s great about Sports Illustrated is that they just reinvent themselves and keep reinventing what their vision of beauty is,” says Jacobs. “And they continue to show people that there is more than one type of beauty.”
