We’ll Never Get Over These 6 Photos of Supermodel Kate Upton in Antarctica

The SI Swimsuit legend brought the heat to her 2013 cover feature.

Ananya Panchal | Aug 14, 2024

Kate Upton was photographed by Derek Kettela in Antarctica. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Seven-time brand star Kate Upton is practically synonymous with SI Swimsuit. The franchise legend, who landed on the front of this year’s issue, is used to being a cover girl, though it feels more and more special each time. The 32-year-old made her debut with the publication in the Philippines in 2011, when she was named Rookie of the Year. Upton returned to the fold and traveled to Australia for her sophomore feature, landing back-to-back covers that year and in Antarctica the following year.

In 2014, the Michigan native double-dipped, posing for a super cool zero-gravity feature in Cape Canaveral, Fla., as well as a traditional beach photo shoot in the Cook Islands. In 2017, she landed on three individual beautiful, captivating covers following her breathtaking feature with Yu Tsai in Fiji.

Upton reunited with the visual artist this year, traveling to Mexico to pose for the cover of the 2024 magazine. The mom of one also starred in an extra special group feature, alongside 26 other franchise legends in honor of the brand’s 60th anniversary issue.

“It’s such an honor to even be referred to as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit legend. It was a huge goal at the beginning of my career, and to be sitting here now, surrounded by all these legends, is really surreal. I was lucky enough to do a similar shoot for the 50th, and now to return for the 60th is such an honor,” she said while on location in Hollywood, Fla.

Below are six fun, flirty and icy photos from Upton’s 2013 photo shoot with Derek Kettela in Antarctica.

Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Published Aug 14, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.