Elisa Basso, born in Italy, is the sister of cyclist Ivan Basso. She’s been in the spotlight mostly for her ties to doping scandals in cycling, where she got banned for four years in 2010 for trafficking banned substances.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisapolly/
Meet Sylwia Gruchała, born November 6, 1981, in Gdynia, Poland. She blew up as a pro fencer, reppin’ Poland on the global stage. Sylwia racked up mad medals at the Olympics, World Championships, and European Championships.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sylgruch/
Meet Stefany Hohnjec, born August 7, 1986, in Koper, a former Croatian model and photoshoot queen, best known for snaggin’ the Miss Sport title in 2004.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefanyhohnjec/
Meet Franziska van Almsick, born April 5, 1978, in East Berlin, East Germany. She’s a retired German swimmer who blew up as a teen for her sick performances in global swim comps. She first made waves at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, snaggin’ two silver and two bronze medals at just 14. Over her career, she stacked up ten Olympic medals and smashed multiple world records, makin’ her one of Germany’s all-time great swimmers.
On top of her pool game, she got eyes on her for strippin’ down in Playboy, showin’ off her skills as both a champ athlete and a public figure. Those spreads amped up her fame way beyond sports.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franziska_van_almsick/
Meet Sydney Rae Leroux, born May 7, 1990, a Canadian-born American pro soccer player. She’s a forward for Angel City FC in the NWSL, rockin’ the game with mad skills.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneyleroux/
Meet Maya Reis Gabeira, born April 10, 1987, a Brazilian big wave surfer. She shredded a massive 22.4 m (73 ft) wave in Nazaré, Portugal in February 2020, snaggin’ the Guinness World Record for the biggest wave a woman’s ever surfed. Before that, she held the record with a 20.8 m (68 ft) wave in January 2018.
Gabeira’s racked up tons of awards, includin’ the ESPY for Best Female Action Sports Athlete.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maya
Meet Jennifer Bongardt, a German athlete born on September 8, 1982, in Hagen. Peeps know her for rockin’ it in nude Playboy pics (September 2007).
Meet Sarah Donohue, born August 9, 1970, an English model, fitness instructor, TV personality, and powerboat racer. Discovered at 18 by Debra Burns of Boss Model Management, she kicked off her modeling career with JCB in 1988, later featuring as the cover girl for Marks & Spencer’s 1989 Autumn Wear, Bizarre Magazine, and STUNT Magazine.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahdonohueofficial/
Meet Isabelle Härle, born January 10, 1988, a German swimmer specializing in open water events since 2011.
She snagged a bronze in the Team 5 km at the world championships. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she competed in the women’s 10 km marathon swim, finishing 6th with a time of 1:57:22.1. Before the Olympics, she posed for the German Playboy alongside rower Julia Lier, cyclist Nadja Pries, table tennis player Petrissa Solja, and pole vaulter Katharina Bauer.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellehaerle/
Meet Alexandra Ndolo, born August 13, 1986, a left-handed épée fencer from Germany who flipped to rep Kenya in 2022. She’s headin’ to the Paris Olympics in 2024 as Kenya’s lone fencer.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrandolo
Meet Anita Marks, born April 1970, a radio host, football sideline reporter, and ex-pro women’s football player.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anita_marks/
Petrissa Solja, born March 11, 1994, in Kandel, Germany, is a German table tennis player. She and Sabine Winter snagged the German national doubles title in 2013 and 2014.
Coached by her dad, Pavel, she competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics, getting knocked out in the third round of women’s singles but scoring a silver in the women’s team event. Before Rio, she posed for Playboy Germany alongside swimmer Isabelle Härle, rower Julia Lier, cyclist Nadja Pries, and injured pole vaulter Katharina Bauer.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petrissasolja/
