Bow down to 81-year-old Martha Stewart, Sports Illustrated’s new swimsuit cover girl

Martha Stewart is LIVING—and no, we’re not talking about her home goods line. She’s officially a swimsuit cover model at 80 years old for Sports Illustrated, and her photos are breathtaking!

She’s glowing. She’s serving. She’s sexy. She is THE MOMENT. You can see each of the beautiful photos at SI.com.

She might be the oldest model to grace the cover of the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, but she is also certainly one of the most fabulous. Stewart, who was photographed looking like she’s having a hot girl summer in the Dominican Republic, looks stunning.

“To be on the cover [at] my age was a challenge, and I think I met the challenge,” Stewart told the Today show on Monday. “For me, it is a testament to good living. And I think that all of us should think about good living, successful living and not about aging. The whole aging thing is so boring.”

She hopes to perpetuate the notion that aging isn’t anything to fear, and should instead be embraced. It’s hard not to see her in these photos and feel the empowerment reverberating through the page.

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“Usually I’m motivated by pay. But this time I was motivated by showing people that a woman my age could still look good, feel good, be good,” Stewart tells Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. “I thought that this is kind of historic and that I better look really good.”

MJ Day, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit‘s editor-in-chief, agrees and hopes to keep these good aging vibes going in future issues of the magazine.

“While the industry wavers on its arbitrary notion of beauty, our issue has stayed the course, showcasing the women of today, the women shaping the future,” she says in a statement provided to Yahoo Life. “Martha Stewart is a legend. The definition of a great female entrepreneur who built a dynasty against insurmountable odds.”

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The internet is absolutely gagged over the photos, and it’s easy to see why.

As for the decision to do the shoot, she tells TODAY it was inspired by her new life mantra of saying “yes” to things.

“When you’re through changing, you’re through. That’s one of my mottos,” Stewart said. “And so change is very good, evolution is very good, trying new things—being fearless is very good. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid of anything. I hope [this cover] does give people, women especially, an opportunity to revisit their lives and get with the picture.”

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