While famous figures like Olympic medal-winning athlete Ilona Maher and former “The Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel are appearing in the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, an icon of the annual offering, Paulina Porizkova, has shared a look at herself in an adorable bikini ahead of her 61st birthday.
Paulina Looked Amazing in a Red & White Striped Bikini
Porizkova took to Instagram on Wednesday, April 8 — one day before her 61st birthday — to share a video of herself wearing a red and white striped bikini. The recording shows the former supermodel “flexing for the camera to show off her toned muscles and her healthy, fit physique,” according to Parade.
Beyond that, Parade notes that “the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover star also took the opportunity to send her followers an inspirational message about body positivity, while pointing out just how far she’s come on her own journey of ‘self-acceptance.'”
“I will be 61 tomorrow, and I understand that this might sound crazy to you, but 40 years ago, when I was 21 and when I was at the height of my career and supermodel-dom, that was when I felt the most insecure,” Porizkova said in the video. She explained that this was related to the “endless comparisons to other models.”
“I never seemed to be good enough,” she added, while explaining that, at the time, her self-worth “was entirely tied to [her] looks.”
Now, things have changed, and Porizkova noted that she’s upped her workouts by “like 10 notches, … not necessarily so I can look best in this bikini — but to feel my best in this 6th decade.”
Porizkova — who is engaged to writer and producer Jeff Greenstein — then added, “You know, actually, who am I kidding?… I do want to look my best this summer, but not necessarily in a bikini — in a wedding dress.”
Paulina Is a ‘Legend’ of the Sports Illustrated Brand
“A legend of the brand, Paulina Porizkova first posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue in 1983, when she traveled to Jamaica,” according to Sports Illustrated. Granted, that was just the beginning of what would become an iconic collaboration between the supermodel and Sports Illustrated.
“She landed the cover the following year, after her photo shoot in Aruba, making her the first Central European woman to appear on the front of the magazine,” Sports Illustrated explained. “In 1985, she landed back-to-back SI Swimsuit Issue covers, following her feature in Australia. With the publication of the 60th anniversary magazine, the Czechoslovak-born writer has appeared in 11 separate SI Swimsuit Issues within the span of 41 years.”
Beyond that, Sports Illustrated notes that “Porizkova is renowned for her work as the face of Estée Lauder, and she’s also worked as a film and television actress.” That’s not to mention the fact that “she has served as a judge on America’s Next Top Model alongside fellow SI Swimsuit legend and show creator Tyra Banks. Porizkova published her debut novel, A Model Summer, in 2007, and in 2022, she released her nonfiction debut work, No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful.”
