The queen of cooking and crafts, Martha Stewart, has made history by being on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine. She is now the oldest beauty to grace the cover of the magazine at the age of 81. The record holder before her was Elon Musk’s mother model Maye Musk. She was 74 years old at that time.
Stewart is one of four stars who is posing on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swisuit’s 2023 issue. The other three are Megan Fox, Kim Petras, and Brooks Nader. The business maven opened up about how it felt to Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on the “Today Show.”
The lifestyle guru told the talk show hosts that she saw her cover shoot as “a testament for good living.”
Stewart’s Views on Success
“I think all of us should think about good living, successfully living, and not aging. The whole aging thing is so boring. You know what I mean?” Stewart stated. She told Kotb and Guthrie about the hospital she started called Center for Living at Mt. Sinai.
“I started this hospital with Mt. Sinai and it’s all about growing old gracefully,” Stewart stated. She added that people as a whole “don’t think about aging.”
We think about successful living and we try to install in people the desire to eat well, exercise well, have friends to have pets — to do all the things that make you happy as you get older. So that’s what I’m all about.
Stewart also admitted her mother was her role and that she has good genes. The businesswoman pointed out how she posted a picture of her mother on social media for Mother’s Day. “After four kids, she was still wearing a two-piece bathing suit. And she still had two more after that and she was still wearing a two-piece bathing suit, so that’s pretty fabulous,” exclaimed Stewart.
Getting Ready for the Cover
The business star stated she relied on a diet and exercise to prepare to be on the cover of the Sports Illistrustrated Swimsuit edition. She said she didn’t go on a major diet or starver herself. However, Stewart did admit to not eating “any bread or pasta for a couple [of] months.”
The 81-year-old grandmom wants people to know that age is not important. “Age is not the determining factor in terms of friendship or in terms of success,” she said. However, she did add what is important.
What people do, how people think, how people act, that’s what’s important and not your age.
Sports Illistrustrated first asked Stewart to be on the cover in November 2022. The photoshoot was scheduled for the end of January. Being on the cover at her “age was a challenge.” One that she met head-on and overcame.
Other Kudos
In addition to good genes, Stewart gave praise to her father for instilling confidence in her younger days. He encouraged her to educate herself, she explained. Additionally, she had worked as a model prior to building her empire. This helped her learn how to pose in front of the camera. It also helped boost her confidence.
Looking back, Stewart stated the photoshoot was “kind of fun.” Then she described what they did at that time to get the results they do today. “They were prodding me and pinching me and pouring water all over my head!” she said.
The lifestyle guru added that they used “no tricks.” The people told her that people they looked “okay.” It “sort of reinforce that it’s okay to be doing what you’re doing.”
Ultimately, doing the photoshoot for Sports Illustrated Stewart hopes she encourages others to be “fearless.”
Being fearless is very good. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid of anything.
She also spoke about how “change is a good thing.” So is evolving and growing she added.
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
People: How Martha Stewart Prepared to Pose on the Cover of ‘Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’ at Age 81
News Center Maine: Martha Stewart makes history as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model
Britannica: Martha Stewart
