Camille Kostek Was ‘Brought to Tears’ by Watching This SI Swimsuit Legend Pose

The 2019 cover girl was totally in awe witnessing fellow a brand icon’s modeling skills during the 60th anniversary photo shoot.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Camille Kostek can’t stop gushing about being “inducted into the SI Swimsuit Hall of Fame.” The seven-time brand model, who landed on the cover in 2019, after her sophomore photo shoot in Kangaroo Island, Australia, joined fellow brand alumna and industry icons for the special 60th anniversary photo shoot in Florida earlier this spring.

Twenty-seven women, including Christie Brinkley, Tyra Banks, Kate Upton, Lily Aldridge and more were photographer by Yu Tsai, and all landed on a triptych of covers in addition to the four 2024 solo covers.

And while on location, the 32-year-old was fan-girling over one model in particular. Franchise veteran Paulina Porizkova, who has now worked with SI Swimsuit 11 separate years, prides herself on proving that age truly is just a number, and beauty is so much deeper than surface level.

Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by MARCHESA. Shoes by BRITT NETTA. Jewelry by Ettika. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“I had the best time shooting with all of the legends. A lot of these women are women that I’ve looked up to through the years, and I’m finding myself speechless, even reflecting on this moment because it’s so new,” Kostek told us while on the red carpet of the 2024 issue launch party in New York City on May 16. “I would say one of the best moments was watching Paulina Porizkova perform. I’m saying ‘perform’ because the way that she was up there, it’s like a dance as she moves through her poses. I literally was brought to tears. I was with some of the other women, and we all felt like this wave of energy and chills from her just being this sunshine in human form.”

Kostek was discovered through the brand’s open casting call in 2018, and became the first Swim Search alumna to land on the cover. The former NFL cheerleader has been featured in every magazine since her debut, and has traveled to breathtaking locations like Portugal, Belize, the Dominican Republic (twice!) and St. Croix.

Camille Kostek / Alexander Tamargo/Alta Images

“I still feel like a rookie, so I can’t believe I’m here—seven consecutive years later and now a legend of the brand,” the Connecticut native added. “I feel beyond honored to represent this brand now and forever. It’s like a big sisterhood, whether you’re meeting them for the first time or you’ve known them through the years. You can tell why MJ [Day, editor in chief] hand picks everybody. It’s my sisterhood for life. And I feel again very honored to be amongst these women.”