Sports Illustrated model Maggie Rawlins is a COVID nurse

As one of Sports Illustrated’s new swimsuit designs, Maggie Rawlins is putting the pulse on the wheel.

But Rawlins, 28, can help with that spike in blood pressure – she’s a registered nurse.

The South Carolina native, who modeled for lingerie brand Intimissimi and landed Elle Croatia’s October cover, worked at a Queens medical facility at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring .

“I was working in LA and booked a return flight [to South Carolina] thinking it would be a month or two, ”Rawlins told the Post. Then the call went out to nurses, so she immediately raised her hand and headed for New York at the end of March 2020.

“I had a skill set as a nurse, and it was a responsibility more than anything else. . . You just hit the ground running. There were a lot of obstacles.

When asked if any patients or colleagues knew about her daily work, she replied, “Absolutely not. And I don’t think anyone would have cared by then.

The 5ft 7in Rawlins was spotted for modeling as a teenager. But she always wanted to become a nurse, like her grandmother who worked nights during labor and delivery. After graduating, she was working as a hematology and oncology nurse in South Carolina when a Miami agency contacted her.

“At first I thought it was a bit of a scam, but my nurse in charge told me to go for it. She said to keep my license active, and if I didn’t like it I could always come back, ”she says.

Rawlins kept his credentials by volunteering with OneWorld Health, and traveled to countries like Uganda and Nicaragua, working as a triage nurse, before returning to help pandemic-ravaged New York City.

And in December, Rawlins, who is married to childhood neighbor George Douglas III and now lives in Manhattan, received another life-changing call: She had been hired to pose for the prestigious bikini bible.

“I had no idea I was even on SI’s radar. I got a call from my agent telling me I was ready to do it. Then two hours later he said, “You’re confirmed for Sports Illustrated, and you’re shooting in three weeks,” Rawlins said, adding that she had indulged in red wine and needed to get over it quickly. form.

“I’ve done a lot of Pilates at home and the Sculpt Society app with Megan Roup,” said Rawlins, whose favorite SI swim models are Kathy Ireland and Elle Macpherson.

She hopes this bikini-baring moment catches the attention of healthcare workers.

“I want to stress that I was only there three weeks which is nothing compared to the sacrifices they made,” she said, adding: “COVID has not stopped for them.”