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Lily Aldridge, 29, never dreamed she’d become a supermodel.
“Mia Hamm was my role model,” she adds.
“I still look up to her.”
“This was one of the most fun shoots I’ve had,” she says.
“I realized I have to do more cardio!”
She challenged Los Angeles Lakers Wayne Ellington and Ronnie Price to a game of horse.
She went up against top-ranked AVP beach volleyball players Sean Rosenthal and Casey Patterson.
“That’s when I got really competitive,” she says.
“It felt great to be on the field.
Being around athletes makes me feel very comfortable.”
Being on-set didn’t seem weird to me."
“She’s been such a great role model for me.”
She was thrilledand secretly terrified.
“It was the first runway I’d ever walked,” she says.
“I was backstage, like, What am I supposed to do?
It’sweirdwhen you’ve never done it before.”
One of the other models gave her a tip: It’s all about attitude.
“If you feel confident and beautiful,” says Aldridge, “people will see that.”
Victoria’s Secret execs certainly did.
Just one year later, they gave her her wings.
While the Angels may not play soccer, they’re still Aldridge’s dream team.
“It’s my obligation to stand up for my friends,” she says.
She is one of the sweetest, kindest, most genuine souls I’ve ever met!"
Of the incident, Aldridge says, “People aren’t partying anymore.
It’s much more of a business now.”
Aldridge, for example, has collaborated on her own fashion line with Velvet by Graham & Spencer.
“They’re all good people,” Aldridge says.
“You mess with them, you’re messing with Mama.”
“I can’t go to the gym.
I’m not that person,” Aldridge says.
But if someone’s there with me, I’ll work my butt off."
To accommodate her hectic schedule, Aldridge connects with Bowers live via laptop.
And her dedication has paid off.
“It’s made me leaner, stronger and healthier.”
Read the rest of this feature by downloading the digital edition below.
Dress, Issa, $3,650;IssaLondon.com.
Bodysuit, $42;AmericanApparel.net.
Arm sleeve, McDavid, $20;McDavidUSA.com.
Cleats, $50;Nike.com.
“It took me back to being a kid.”
Dress, Julien Macdonald, price upon request; Bergdorf Goodman, 800-558-1855.
Tank, $250;MonrealLondon.com.
Cleats, $220;Puma.com
Styled by Melissa Ventosa Martin.
Photo Credit: Giampaolo Sgura
