Olivia Culpo has urged her fans to "never stop striving" for their goals, after she landed the cover of the 2020 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Olivia Culpo for Sports Illustrated
The 28-year-old model was named as one of three models gracing the cover of the iconic publication this year alongside Kate Bock and Jasmine Sanders.
And after sharing a photo of a vision board she made four years ago which included her dream of bagging the coveted shoot, she told her followers to "remain focused and persistent" on their own goals.
She wrote on social media: "I was debating sharing this but figured if this huge milestone can mean something to someone else out there then it's an even greater blessing for me.
"To anyone who sees this, never stop visualizing and striving for what you want. Don't lose hope and remain focused and persistent. 4 years ago when I was pasting these images onto a poster board it was me sitting on the floor with my glue stick and scissors shooting for the stars and it felt completely unattainable.
"I just hope this can show anyone out there that their goals, big or small, really can come true and that you deserve it. Thank you to everyone who has helped me achieve this dream and to all the other dreamers, never give up (sic)"
Olivia also said the magazine cover "still doesn't feel real".
In a separate post, she shared: "WOW! I really am speechless and this still doesn't feel real. I am so grateful for every experience I have been able to have with my @si_swimsuit family. (sic)"
However, shooting the iconic cover wasn't was glamorous as it looks, as Olivia told Page Six her "knees were bleeding" after being knelt on rocks in the sea for hours at a time.
She said: "My knees were bleeding from the rocks, and I was being taken out by waves. We have to wake up at 4 am to get the right light, and we shoot until the sun goes down. You have to dedicate a lot of time, energy, and mental focus into what you want to happen."
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