Aly Raisman is using a nude photo shoot for Sports Illustrated’s 2018 swimsuit issue to make a statement about abuse, female empowerment and other topics that are close to the Olympian’s heart.
The Needham native posed for the magazine’s new “In Her Own Words” platform that hopes to showcase the “voice, the strength and the passion” of its models. The project was shot using an all-female team and shows each woman featured with powerful words written on their naked bodies.
For Raisman’s shoot, the Olympian had words like “fierce,” “survivor” and “abuse is never OK” painted on her.
“Women do not have to be modest to be respected,” Raisman wrote in an Instagram post accompanied by an image from the shoot. “Everyone should feel comfortable expressing themselves however makes them happy. Women can be intelligent, fierce, sexy, powerful, strong, advocate for change while wearing what makes them feel best.”
“I believe that women (or anyone) should be able to wear whatever makes them feel comfortable and happy,” she told SI in an interview for the project. “Our society puts too much pressure on women and young girls to look ‘perfect,’ and we have to stop doing that.”
Raisman, who previously appeared in the 2017 swimsuit issue, also spoke about the project in a video for SI released on Tuesday.
