What the heck was Sports Illustrated thinking?
The magazine’s swimsuit issue honchos sent Jodi Harrison-Bauer — a 58-year-old hard-bodied mother of two — packing. But look at her now.
The Connecticut gym owner attended the bikini bible’s open casting call in July. Out of 5,000 hopefuls, she advanced to the final 60, making her the oldest woman to ever get that far. But she didn’t crack the final 16.
However, Harrison-Bauer isn’t wallowing in self-pity.
“I felt a huge accomplishment getting to the top 60,” she told The Post. “I’m very into manifesting and visualizing things, and I just didn’t see myself making it into the sweet 16.”
The owner of boutique gym JodiFit, in Branford, is happy with her “consolation prizes.”
“I’ve gotten hundreds of e-mails from women telling me that I’ve inspired them,” she said.
The hot mama has also signed a deal with meal-prep company Edibolic Kitchen, which later this month will start producing JodiFit prepared meals focused on lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. She’s being filmed for German TV, and even landed the front page of The Post on July 13, which she learned while walking into the second day of Sports Illustrated auditions in Miami.
“I was very humbled,” she said. “But I just thought what I did was normal.”
There’s nothing “normal” about Harrison-Bauer. She started competing in fitness contests at age 47 — and rewrote the rule book.
“Nobody knew what to do with me. The oldest division was 35-plus. But as I started competing, I met all of these women who were over 45 years old,” she said. So Harrison-Bauer convinced the promoter to create an over-45 category. She then went on to win two World Fitness America titles.
“Then I said, ‘What am I going to do with all of this confidence that I have? There’s more to me then competitions.’ ” In 2010, she opened up her fitness center.
But Harrison-Bauer admitted she doesn’t put in crazy hours at the gym herself.
“If I am being honest, I only work out three to four times a week,” she said. “I lift weights for 45 minutes and then do cardio for 30 minutes to an hour.”
Always looking for a new challenge, she entered the SI casting call at her daughter Lexi’s urging.
“She said, ‘I don’t know anyone who can walk and talk in a bikini better than you.’ ”
Count Harrison-Bauer in good company. In recent years, the fashion world has embraced women of a certain age. Maye Musk, the 71-year-old mother of Tesla mastermind Elon Musk, signed with IMG Models and landed a Cover Girl contract two years ago, while Christie Brinkley posed for the 2017 Swimsuit issue at age 63.
And even though Harrison-Bauer attributes her fit figure to “muscle memory,” she does stick to a strict diet.
“I eat really clean. I eat five times a day. My meals have leafy greens, two servings of goods fats like avocado and two to three starches a day.” Those starches are mostly sweet potatoes or quinoa, but she still enjoys the occasional pizza and glass of wine with her new husband, pathologist Frank Bauer. They tied the knot in June.
“He’s very proud of me,” she said. “He’s also overwhelmed [by the recent attention].”
As for pursuing a modeling career even after the Sports Illustrated rejection, Harrison-Bauer says never say never.
“My 40s were about discovering who I was. My 50s were about helping other women. When I turned 50, I was really scared. I didn’t want to be an old lady,” she said.
“Now I can’t wait to turn 60. I think my 60s are going to be spectacular.”
Photos: Tamara Beckwith/NY Post; Stylist: Nicole Zane; Hair: T. Cooper/crowdMGMT using ECRU New York; Makeup: Markphong Tram/abtp.com using Code Beautiful Cosmetics London; Stylist Assistant: Katherine Moore; Location: 420 Kent Ave, Brooklyn.