Octogenarian Martha Stewart bags Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover
"Being fearless is very good. Don't be afraid of anything," says Martha after making history on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 81 years old.
Martha Stewart is a Sports Illustrated (SI) Swimsuit cover girl at 81! She is the oldest woman to grace the cover in SI's 59-year history.
She takes over from Maye Musk, the mother of tech mogul Elon Musk, who graced the cover in 2022 at the age of 74.
See her cover here: Elon Musk's mother, 74, is Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's oldest cover model
The businesswoman's team revealed that she had just three months to prepare for the photoshoot, which took place at the end of January.
Martha did not let her age get in the way of slaying a magazine cover that is coveted by the world's biggest supermodels.
"Trying new things is very good. Being fearless is very good. Don't be afraid of anything," she said.
Martha's iconic photoshoot took place in the Dominican Republic. The media and lifestyle mogul hopes her cover will serve as a reminder to women all over the world that they are never too old to try new things.
"I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things, no matter what stage of life you are in. Changing, evolving, and being fearless - those are all very good things, indeed," she wrote on Instagram.
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Thrilled to be on cover of the @SI_Swimsuit issue! I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things. Pick up on newsstands May 18th! #SISwimsuit #SISwim23 @ruvenafanador pic.twitter.com/DsRgLr6crK
— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) May 15, 2023
Martha is one of four models who feature in the 2023 swimsuit edition.
She joins Megan Fox, Brooks Nader, and Kim Petras - who is the second trans model to appear on the cover.
"Yu Tsai and the whole team at Sports Illustrated made me feel really comfortable and like I belonged there. I had the best time and, honestly, it was a huge confidence boost," Petras told PEOPLE.
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When we said this year was going to be epic, we meant it. Find out now who your 2023 SI Swimsuit cover models are!https://t.co/JmTTTteBEt
— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) May 15, 2023
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Women are praising Sports Illustrated for being more inclusive.
"About time. I love this one so much. Women of age are beautiful souls," one Instagram user wrote.
Another user added: "Beauty is ageless! And Martha is such a trailblazer, a role model is a perfect cover star."
Read Martha's full interview with Sports Illustrated here.
I say, go @MarthaStewart! At 81, she’s on top of her game and the oldest @SI_Swimsuit cover model ever, inspiring women of all ages to “look good, feel good.” She’s working, creating, thriving, and doing it all with her own sense of humor! She is a trailblazer that we can all… pic.twitter.com/CLKd97iZsl
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) May 15, 2023
Martha Stewart is proof that “hitting the wall” doesn’t exist and is an incel fairytale
— Trap Queen Enthusiast (@marionumber4) May 15, 2023
Also… would https://t.co/Is0nXojJCV
Martha Stewart, 81, makes history as the oldest SI Swimsuit cover model. pic.twitter.com/Pk7fas9Dfv
— Couture is Beyond (@CoutureIsBeyond) May 15, 2023
Main image courtesy of Sports Illustrated/@ruvenafanador