At 74, Elon Musk’s mother, Maye Musk became the oldest sports illustrated swimsuit cover model. Along with internet sensation Kim Kardashian, singer Ciara, and artist and fashion entrepreneur Yumi Nu, the model and dietitian, Maye Musk is one of four SI Swimsuit 2022 cover stars.
Sharing her experience with PEOPLE, she said, “My first reaction was, I could never dream up something like that because why would anyone have a 74-year-old on their cover, especially in a swimsuit. I do think it’s going to make women feel more comfortable in their seventies when they swim, as well as women in their twenties and thirties.”
We’re kind of shy about our bodies: Maye Musk
She further added, “When women go to the beach, we’re kind of shy about our bodies. But men will walk around, looking terrible, and they don’t care. I think we have to not care that much! Everybody was polite, kind, considerate, caring, so I felt very comfortable in my swimsuit,” she said, adding that “once you’ve done your first shot, you’re fine with all the others because they give you so much confidence about looking good in a swimsuit.”
Yu Tsai captured Maye Musk wearing several swimsuits in Belize. A Bahia Maria one-piece with 3D floral design, a two-toned ruffled Maygel Coronel suit. She also donned an OYE cutout, a one-shoulder design with gold buttons, and a Zimmermann two-piece. Maye Musk boldly acknowledged aging in her 2019 memoir. She discussed in detail that the negative energy surrounding aging is not something she or others should tolerate.
“She’s the most fearless woman I’ve ever known”
Praising her mother in the current edition, Tosca Musk wrote, “In her years on this planet she’s earned two master’s degrees in nutrition science, won awards in the dietetics field, has been in countless fashion shows and editorials, and she’s even appeared in a Beyoncé video. She is an uncontainable force. And she’s the most fearless woman I’ve ever known.”
“So in this issue, we encourage readers to see these models as we see them; Multifaceted, multitalented — and sexy while they’re at it. The world may label them one way, but we want to focus our lens on all the ways they see themselves and how they own who they are,” she added.