Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio becomes the first trans model to be featured in Sports Illustrated’s iconic Swimsuit issue

The world famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition is making waves by welcoming the first ever transgender model to grace its pages.

Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio has made more history and is set to become the first transgender model to feature in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

The 23-year-old made history last year by becoming the first transgender model to work for Victoria’s Secret, as well as the first to make the cover of Vogue Paris in 2017.

Kayo is your ticket to the best sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

In a post to her 419,000 followers on Instagram as well as on the Sports Illustrated website, Sampaio said she was “honoured” to be part of the “groundbreaking” issue.

“Being trans usually means facing closed doors to peoples’ hearts and minds,” she wrote. “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.”

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues have broken new ground in recent years with Ashley Graham, the first size 16 model, in 2017 while last year featured Somali-American model Halima Aden, the first woman to wear a hijab and burkini in the magazine.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Sampaio said “it’s like a dream”.

“I was so surprised and I was like ‘really?’,” she told Good Morning America.

“It means a lot to me, not just for myself but for the entire LGBT+ community.”

Sampaio grew up in northern Brazil in a family of fisherman in a family of seven children.

Brazil saw 130 killings of transgender people, the most of any nation in the world.

Professionally, her gender identity has also cost her jobs in the past as she’s had to work hard to break into the industry, losing a high profile modelling job when her gender identity was discovered.

She said she hopes this would change in the future.

“We all are human and I love to see people, brands and companies more open to fearlessly embracing the trans community with compassion and respect,” she said.

“Everything about Valetina is remarkable,” Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue editor MJ Day said. “Her incredible beauty to her strength of character, her bravery to pioneer this conversation.”