German swimmer Elena Krawzow is the first Paralympian to make the cover of Playboy Magazine, with the 26-year-old making her debut in her native Germany’s edition.
Krawzow specializes in breaststroke and freestyle and competed at the 2012 Paralympic Games. There in London, Krawzow collected silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke (SB13). She also competed at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio but fell short of the podium.
She maintains just 3% of her vision due to Stargardt disease, a genetic eye disorder.
Of her newfound fame as the first Paralympic swimmer ever to grace a Playboy cover, Krawzow stated on her personal Instagram,
“Yes, it’s true! I am the first female Paralympic athlete on the Playboy cover 😇 I couldn’t turn down this possibility and I am very grateful for the request from @playboygermany 🐰 With the shoot, I want to set an example for more tolerance in society. So that people with a disability can create anything and not hide, even if you are not like most, because not every disability is seen at first glance. Diversity is part of society and tolerance helps us all. Well, now I’m in Playboy 😁 The two days of shooting that I was able to experience were great. I’ve always wished to experience a day as a professional model and I did that, it was a lot of fun 📷 A lot of beautiful aesthetic pictures were created. You are welcome to buy the newspaper online or in the newsagents from tomorrow and see the wonderful work 💕 Now I’m going to reveal the secret, tomorrow I’m going to Munich to the Playmate Wiesen Party 😃 I’m very excited about what’s coming and I’m really looking forward to the evening. I will of course tell you about it as best I can so that you can also get a little insight.”
Other swimmers who have appeared in various editions of Playboy include Katinka Hosszu in Playboy Hungary; Angela Maurer, 2012 Olympic qualifier in the 10k for Germany; 7-time Olympic medalist Amanda Beard, who appeared in the main American edition of the magazine in 2007; Olympic silver medalist Haley Cope, who appeared in 2004, and Poland’s Luiza Hryniewicz, a 2005 European Junior Champion in the 50 breaststroke, who was in the magazine in 2011
Krawzow hopes to compete at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan after the event was postponed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.