If you had to think of someone who sums up the word super in supermodel, who would you pick? Christie Brinkley epitomizes super with her extraordinary list of achievements that complement her enduring beauty.

Christie (born Christie Lee Hudson on February 2, 1954) was discovered in 1973 by American photographer Errol Sawyer in a post office in Paris, where she had recently moved to study art. He introduced her to John Casablancas of Elite Model Management in Paris and got her started in the fashion world, something she hadn’t even considered—she thought of herself simply as a “California surfer girl.” Christie returned to California, and by the end of a lunch meeting with Nina Blanchard, an Eileen Ford affiliate in Los Angeles, had been booked for three national ad campaigns. She stayed with the Ford Models agency for over 30 years.

Christie is probably best known for her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition covers (she is the only model to have appeared on three consecutive covers, in 1979, 1980, and 1981). She was also featured exclusively in the first Sports Illustrated calendar. In 2005, the special Sports Illustrated 40th-anniversary issue’s Hall of Fame celebrating the most revered figures in the magazine’s history naturally included Christie, along with the greatest sports heroes of the past four decades.  

In 1976, Christie started a modeling contract with cosmetics giant Cover Girl that lasted a record 20 years, the longest contract ever in the history of the modeling industry. In 2005, Cover Girl signed Christie again to promote its mature skin line, Advance Radiance. She has also found time to design a line of hugely popular prescription glasses and has released her own fragrance. Christie has appeared in several movies—her first was a memorable role as “the girl in the red Ferrari” in the 1983 hit National Lampoon’s Vacation with Chevy Chase—as well as numerous television appearances.

Despite her modeling success, Christie never let go of her passion for art, and today she is an accomplished photographer and illustrator. She was Don King’s ringside photographer for several major boxing events (including fights with Mohammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard), and her work has appeared in Ring magazine, Photo, and Kodak’s Ampersand. Christie photographed the 1996 Baseball World Series Championship teams for Pinnacle baseball cards for her own trading cards, called the Christie Brinkley Collection. She also illustrated the cover art for then-husband Billy Joel’s 1993 triple-platinum album River of Dreams, which Rolling Stone named Best Album Cover of the Year.

Christie is also known for her commitment to health and fitness. In 1983, she wrote and illustrated Christie Brinkley’s Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Guide, which topped the New York Times best-seller list. She has raced in celebrity ski tournaments, sailed with the America’s Cup Team (during practice), and twice placed in the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity Championship, winning first place in 1991. A fan of the New York Islanders, Christie began doing promotions for the team after she was noticed at games writing a blog for NHL.com.

As if her plate weren't already full, Christie is an active member and dedicated supporter of many charities, too. She has been honored with numerous awards honoring her work for animal rights, the environment, and Bosnian refugees. Her activism reached a new level of commitment when she learned she was raising her three kids near the sites of several nuclear reactors and became a busy spokesperson for STAR (Standing for Truth About Radiation). She serves on STAR’s board of directors, has appeared on talk shows, and makes frequent trips to Washington, where she speaks at conventions about the nuclear industry’s negative effects on families living near reactors.

Listen up, girls: We really can have it all. Let Christie Brinkley be your inspiration.