This Is SI Swimsuit Legend Kate Upton’s Proudest Career Achievement

The supermodel returned to the fold this year and nailed her cover photo shoot in Mexico.

Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

The end of 2024 is near, and we’re taking the opportunity to look back at all of the moments that made SI Swimsuit so special during our 60th anniversary year. In case you missed it, take a look at SI Swimsuit Wrapped, which summarizes 31 unforgettable moments that took place this year. Before we set our intentions for 2025, we’re throwing it back to the last 365 days and highlighting several special SI Swimsuit moments (in no particular order), including Kate Upton’s return to the fold.

When she first came to the SI Swimsuit brand in 2011, Kate Upton was a young 18-year-old model. That first year, she posed for the annual issue in both the Philippines and in a New York studio. The following year, the Michigan native landed the cover of the 2012 SI Swimsuit Issue, following her photo shoot in Australia.

Just 19 at the time, Upton received plenty of public critique on her curvy figure, and the moment served as a catalyst for change for the brand, as editor in chief MJ Day has said. Upton went on to land the cover of the annual magazine again in 2013, and ’17, and earned her fourth SI Swimsuit Issue cover this year, after her photo shoot with Yu Tsai in Mexico. Additionally, the 32-year-old model participated in the brand’s legends feature in Hollywood, Fla., this spring, where she posed along 26 fellow SI Swimsuit icons for a group cover.

While on set with SI Swimsuit earlier this year in Mexico, Upton opened up about everything from her personal and career growth over the years to motherhood. She and her husband, MLB pitcher Justin Verlander, are the proud parents to daughter Genevieve, whom they welcomed in 2018.

The industry professional, who is also an entrepreneur and actress, noted that despite the critique she received early on in her career regarding her body, how she handled it is one of her proudest career moments to date.

“What I’m most proud of would be just taking care of myself and taking care of my mental health through all that,” Upton stated while on set in Mexico. “It was a lot to take on at a young age, and I built such authentic friends and had my family and leaned on them and became ultimately way more comfortable in my skin than I [thought] I ever would be.”

Check out Upton’s complete 2024 SI Swimsuit Issue gallery in Mexico here, and her legends photo shoot here.

Next. SI Swimsuit Wrapped. SI Swimsuit Wrapped: 31 Unforgettable Moments of 2024. light