Paige Spiranac could hardly contain herself.
The 24-year-old golfer and Colorado native, already an Instagram star thanks in part to her curve-baring photos, had nabbed a spot in Sports Illustrated’s famed swimsuit edition. But she couldn’t tell her family.
“I do a lot of stuff with golf.com and they’re the (Sports Illustrated) people, so we had already been talking about it,” Spiranac said over the phone from New York City on Wednesday. “And then I found out I was going to be in it in June or July, and we shot the photos in November. But it was hard not to be able to tell anyone. I only told my parents and my sister, and maybe one or two friends. I didn’t want to ruin the secret.”
The jig was up last week, however, when images from Spiranac’s beach shoot popped up online, sending a flood of new eyes to her Instagram (now with 1.3 million fans) and Twitter accounts (with 186,000 followers).
Since then she’s been fielding congratulations, giving interviews and responding to critics — including former ESPN reporter Britt McHenry — who feel that appearing in a bikini makes it harder for women athletes to be taken seriously, even as Spiranac counters that argument with assertions of body positivity and empowerment.
We caught up with Spiranac on Valentine’s Day, 24 hours after the #MeToo-themed swimsuit issue, with some models scrawling relevant phrases on their bodies, hit newsstands. The interview was edited for length and clarity.
Q: So how has the interview gauntlet been? And just as important, the social media gauntlet?
A: It’s been great. Some of my pictures actually came out a week before the official launch, so I did a lot of my media earlier. This week has been really about meeting all the girls — the models and other athletes (in the issue). It’s been fun because you see them on social media and you feel like you know them, but you really don’t. In person they’ve seen so nice.
Q: You live in Arizona but I understand you’re originally from Colorado.
A: I was actually born in Golden and spent time in Denver, then moved to Monument from about 4th grade until sophomore year of high school. After that I moved to Scottsdale (Ariz.) to pursue golf full-time.
Q: Colorado courses weren’t cutting it?
A: The golf courses are great in Colorado, it’s more the weather. You can’t play year-round, so we would go back and forth for a little bit, but once my sister went to college my family decided to move to Arizona. I really like it and I’m still there, but I do miss Colorado.
Q: What kind of influence did Colorado have on you?
A: I come from a very athletic family, so sports and staying healthy and fit has always been a priority for me. My mom was a ballet dancer, my dad played football and my older sister Lexie, who still lives in Colorado, ran track at Lewis Palmer High School. She was a (Class 5A) state champion high-jumper. In Colorado it’s all around you: everyone eats really healthy, and there are so many hiking trails and everyone’s always outside. I hope to move back there one day.
Q: Your Twitter spat with Britt McHenry generated a lot of internet hot takes this week. Has it been difficult defending yourself against critics?
A: I actually think it’s been really positive for the most part. This is a very empowering, body-positive issue. They’re letting the women speak and have a voice and not just be models. Our opinions may differ, but we’re trying to find common ground and hear each side respectfully. It’s the same with that Twitter exchange, at the end of it we found common ground. That’s all I’m trying to do. I’m not saying every woman has to be in a bikini to feel empowered, but some women feel empowered that way, and it’s not your right to tell them they can’t do that if that’s how they feel at their best. And on our side, we can’t tell people they have to strip down to feel powerful.
Q: Are you worried, as some have charged, that appearing naked or in a bikini will lead people to take you less seriously as an athlete?
A: Yeah, I mean, I get that people who are No. 1 in the world always get criticized for what they’re doing, so obviously I’m going to be criticized as well. But I’m not trying play professionally at the moment. I’m just trying to create really fun content and get more people involved in the game of golf, so I think once they see that and see me not just as a pro golfer, there’s less (harshness).
Q: And I know you’ve spoken out about cyber-bullying recently, having gotten death threats for “sexualizing golf,” which led you to some dark places (Spiranac this month told The Guardian she was “bullied so bad to the point that I didn’t want to live anymore”).
A: It’s a cause that’s really important to me and it’s opened up this new path that I’m really enjoying. I can speak out about it from a place of passion, and that’s important to me.
Q: So what’s next for you?
A: The issue is out and everything launched on the website yesterday, so I’m just focusing on that. And then continuing to use my platform to speak about anti-bullying and… we’ll go from there? I’m just enjoying this experience. It’s such an amazing opportunity and my mind is just trying to take all of this in. I hope everyone picks up an issue — and that they see a little bit past just the girls in bikinis.
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