S.I. Reveals Diverse 'Swim Search' Finalists for Swimsuit Issue

Sports Illustrated's next Swimsuit Issue is gonna have a first ... first ICU nurse, first breast cancer survivor, first NASA physicist or first indigenous model -- they're all in the running, and all have something in common.

S.I.'s doing something they've dubbed a "Swim Search" for an amateur model to feature in their Swimsuit Issue, and just announced a seriously diverse group of finalists ... including actual NASA vet Manju Bangalore.

Yes, she's a physicist who's worked at the Johnson Space Center ... and it's gotta be said: Houston, we do NOT have a problem with this.

Also among the 14 finalists ... breast cancer survivor Kelly Crump, who's endured 60 rounds of chemo since her diagnosis in 2019. Ashley Callingbull hails from Canada's Enoch Cree Nation ... making her the first indigenous woman to pose for the magazine's annual issue.

And then there's Hillory Fields, a real life hero of the pandemic. The Florida native is a traveling ICU nurse who shared her "grueling" efforts through 2020 on social media, saying ... "It has all been a tragedy."

It's pretty obvious what S.I. is going for here, and commendable, at that -- find the most diverse and unique group of "models" they've ever featured. Very cool.