Who is Gigi Robinson? How SI Swimsuit model used her chronic illness to promote body positivity
Gigi Robinson was in the Dominican Republic for days with a group of approximately a dozen other Swim Search finalists and a large film team when it rained on a shoot day. Robinson did not let the dark sky or distant thunder deter her from shooting. She sat through hours of hair and makeup, waited out the storm that temporarily halted production, and shot nonetheless.
"I could have gotten insecure, but instead, I had to check my ego at the door and say, 'You know what? Now you're the only one who has these unique photos with a purple sky behind them,'" the 24-year-old social media influencer told The New York Post. "And I love that. I think I'm so unique and so rare, and it's really important to me that that comes through in the photos."
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Robinson, who is single, is one of 13 women chosen as finalists in the Sports Illustrated Swim Search 2022, which is a global casting call. The publication's annual Swimsuit Issue, which will be released on Monday, May 16, features her and the others. The contest's overall winner will be announced in August.
Robinson was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome when she was 10 and living in New York. Ehlers-Danlos is a connective tissue illness that causes chronic pain and makes her highly prone to injury and unusually slow to heal. Robinson's ailment was first discovered by her family after she carelessly executed a cartwheel and fractured her elbow.
Robinson fractured her ankle less than a year later and tore ligaments in her wrist and it took 13 months for the latter to recover. Fortunately, her mother worked in health care, so she had access to world-class doctors.
Robinson was soon seated in a Cornell pediatric geneticist's office, receiving her diagnosis. Robinson had started swimming but was forced to give up because of her illness. "I really thought I was gonna be going to the Olympics. That's how much I loved swimming," she remarked.
Robinson was frequently injured throughout high school and college, and she was usually on crutches or in a brace. Her classmates questioned her often, asking why she was taking notes on a laptop in class. Why did she choose the elevator over the stairs? Some professors told her that her registered ADA accommodation "wouldn't be okay to use" in their lectures, while others advised her to "work harder."
"I couldn't figure out how to articulate myself. I couldn't stand up to teachers and say, 'What you just said to me is unacceptable, and I'm going to the dean.' So instead, I made art about it," she stated. She put together a book of images for her senior capstone project that depicted the intensely intimate experiences that chronically ill people are all too familiar with. "Like looking up at the tile ceiling from a hospital bed, or listening to that crinkle of the paper when you sit down on the examination table in an outpatient office, or that fluorescent light," she added.
Robinson joined a social media focused organization called USC Reach while learning a BFA at the University of Southern California. She quickly became a brand spokesperson for companies like Tinder and Abercrombie & Fitch. She largely utilized her own social media platforms before 2020 to promote content about body image and marketing, but she didn't mention her chronic illnesses.
Many creators with significant or chronic diseases avoid expressing their conditions in public for fear of being harassed, according to Robinson. However, the pandemic altered Robinson's perspective. "I was just like, 'Gigi, you cannot be posting empty content about fashion and sparkling water online right now,'" she recounted. She gradually began sharing about her experience with chronic disease in the hopes of creating more relevant content. "I would say that's when I really stepped into this role of being an advocate."
Robinson's social media networks have built a combined following of around 150,000 individuals over the last three years. She was also nominated for a number of WEGO Health Awards, including Best in Show for numerous social media channels, Patient Leader Hero, Advocating for Another, and Rookie of the Year.
Robinson's purpose is to help young people, especially those who are struggling with body image and/or chronic illness, gain confidence and advocate for themselves. "The next generation is going to be even more digitally native than Gen Z, and they need the role models that I didn't have," she explained.
After realizing that last year's winner, Katie Austin, was a USC alumna, she decided to apply for the Swim Search in September. Robinson stated, "If she can do it, I can do it. I think that's the attitude that more people need to have. Instead of, 'Oh my God, I wish I could,' asking themselves, 'How can I do that? What's my roadmap?'"
Robinson published the narrative behind her submission on LinkedIn shortly after applying, tagging SI editor MJ Day. Day shared the post within minutes, later admitting that it was what drew her attention to Robinson. "The main message is that you can feel like s*** and be super sick, not look it, and still be super sexy," she stated. "Both can, and do, exist."