As one of Sports Illustrated’s newest swimsuit models, Maggie Rawlins is speeding up her wrists.
But Rawlins, 28, can help with rising blood pressure – she is a nurse.
The South Carolina native, who modeled for lingerie brand Intimissimi and got the October cover of Elle Croatia, worked at a Queens medical center during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring.
“I was working in LA and I booked a flight back [to South Carolina] thinking it would take about a month, ”Rawlins told The Post. Then the call was made to nurses, so she immediately raised her hand and headed for New York City in late March 2020.
“I had the skill set as a nurse and it was more of a responsibility than anything else. . . You just started running. There were many obstacles. “
Asked if any patient or coworker knew about her daily work, she said: “Absolutely not. And I don’t think anyone would have cared at that point. “
The 5-foot, 7-inch Rawlins was chosen to model when he was a teenager. But she always wanted to be a nurse, like her grandmother who worked overnight in labor and delivery. After finishing school, she was working as a hematological oncology nurse in South Carolina when a Miami agency got in touch.
“At first I thought it was a bit of a scam, but my head nurse said to go ahead. She said to keep my license active and, if I didn’t like it, I could always come back, ”she said.
Rawlins maintained his credentials as a volunteer with the non-profit organization OneWorld Health and has traveled to countries like Uganda and Nicaragua, working as a screening nurse, before returning to help the pandemic-stricken NYC.
And in December, Rawlins, who is married to her childhood neighbor George Douglas III and now lives in Manhattan, received another call that changed her life: she was chosen to pose for the prestigious bikini Bible.
“I had no idea that I was on the IS radar. I got a call from my agent saying I was ready for this. Then, two hours later, he said, ‘You are confirmed for Sports Illustrated and are going to shoot in three weeks,’ ”said Rawlins, adding that she was indulging in red wine and had to recover quickly.
“I did 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 that this moment of taking off her bikini will attract the attention of health professionals.
“I want to emphasize that I was only there for three weeks, which is nothing compared to the sacrifices they made,” she said, adding, “COVID has not stopped for them.”