“I’m sitting here talking to you and, no lie, this is probably 15 years later from the moment I dreamt of being on this cover, and it’s happened, right?” she told SI Swim. “So, know that your dreams can come true and they’ll happen at the perfect timing for you.” Ciara was revealed as one of four of the 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover women on Monday. Going all-in with what Ciara, 36, calls her “I believe in me, why not you?” attitude is a major reason why she’s been able to push forward even during times of adversity. “The moment that you tell me no is the moment opportunity begins because I’m going to figure out a way to make that no a yes,” she said. “And you have to have that kind of attitude because a lot of times, if we all listened to the first time someone told us no… we’d never be where we are today. When you’re pursuing your dream, all it takes is one person to believe and that person is you.” The “Level Up” singer has exuded confidence since her early days on the music scene, and her take-charge nature has only grown stronger—not only for herself but for other women as well. “I think we’re living in this time where things are changing, where we ain’t taking no junk—just to be honest—as women, and it’s really powerful to see,” she explains. “You know, there’s a lot of women before me that have crawled so I can walk, and then that next woman walks, and the next woman can run. I just feel like it’s a new day and we ain’t talking to mess and I’m excited for us.” “I’m excited for my daughter because I hope that the crawl and the walk and the run that we’re doing in this time, or I’m able to do in this time, is going to allow her to soar.” Ciara is mom to a 5-year-old daughter, Sienna, as well as a 1-year-old son, Win, with husband Russell Wilson, and she has a 7-year-old son, Future, from her previous relationship with rapper Future. For even more female empowerment from Ciara, watch the video below. You can view more on the complete edition of the 2022 Sports Illustrated here.
