When Brenna Huckaby posed for the 2018 SI Swimsuit Issue, she became the first Paralympian to be featured in the pages of the magazine.
After being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma, Huckaby’s right leg was amputated above the knee when she was just 14. She used snowboarding as part of her rehabilitation exercises and quickly fell in love with the sport. Today, the 27-year-old is a three-time Paralympic gold medalist and the proud mom of two.
“I never even thought about a woman with an amputation or whatever the case may be … in Sports Illustrated,” Huckaby said at the time of her swimsuit issue feature. “So I’m just overwhelmed, I think, with such positive emotion over it, because I knew this day would come, but I didn’t think that I would be the one to make this day happen.”
Huckaby traveled to Aruba for her SI Swimsuit photoshoot, which was captured by James Macari, where she posed on the beach in a number of incredible looks.
“Thank you to all the disabled baddies (men and women) who have walked, ran, rolled through open doors,” she wrote on Instagram last fall while reflecting on her historic photoshoot. “Who continue to fight for inclusion in their respected industries, and who continue to show me and everyone else what’s possible.”