Christie Brinkley

I've had injuries in my life from things beyond my control: runaway horses, helicopters that decide to crash on mountaintops, boating accidents - things that were out of my hands.

I never planned to be a model at all. I moved to Paris to study art, and I was there working as an artist, taking classes, and I had a little sick dog that I was using up all of my money to try and heal. It was right at that point that this photographer, Errol Sawyer, saw me at the phoning office and convinced me to let him take my photo.

I remember my first 'Sports Illustrated' shoot was with the photographer Walter Iooss, and Julie Campbell was the editor, and we were at the president of Mexico's private house in Cancun - this was before anything else that's now in Cancun even existed. And they told me to get a tan, so I spent all morning in the sun, and I was burnt.

I photographed all kinds of sports - Formula 1, Formula Atlantic. And anybody who knows me knows that, from the day they invented video cameras, I used to lug them around when you had to carry the pack here and the big camera here, plus the diaper bag and a baby and the purse or whatever.

In the beginning of my career, I read an article about the reason that men always look five years younger than women is because they shave.

When you feel great, you emanate a certain energy that translates as beautiful. I don't care if you have the standard beauty or not; it's that X-factor that comes through, and the basis of that is good health.

My mom was always my biggest teacher, my inspiration, my role model. My mom was just the most amazing person. She was like a bon vivant in that she just lived each day to the fullest. As soon as I became a vegetarian, she became a vegetarian.

When I started modeling, I was told to tan, but I always protected my face.

My favorite dish is brown rice with lentils, roasted red and yellow peppers, and fennel, with a sweet potato and a salad on the side.

Every morning, I make myself a cappuccino with a drawing in the foam. I post them to Instagram with the hashtag #christiecappuccino.

I haven't touched a piece of meat since I read a graphic description of Chicago's slaughterhouses when I was 12.

When I am brushing my teeth, I'm bending my leg behind me, or I'm lifting my leg up and holding it in that position so I'm squeezing my butt in. I can do that while I'm washing or slicing vegetables, too. Or I go up and down on my toes, working my calves a little bit.

I remember really loving the CoverGirl ads when I was younger - there was something very cool about how they always put the girls in white. It looked so clean.

The only constant that I have in my life is that I start whatever I do with my Total Gym, because I believe it helps keep me from getting injured.

Because I'm an older mom, I have a responsibility to my kids as well as myself. I want to be there for them.

In private, I may wear a bikini, but at the public beach with my kids, I would change bathing suits because they do not want to be hanging out with some old broad in a bikini.

I'm actually excited about turning 60. I feel on top of my game.

I respect artists so much, and I absolutely love music as the ultimate art.

I love musicians. I think artists are the most amazing people because they're constantly creating beauty for the world. With all the crazy stuff going on in the world, then there's artists reminding us of our humanity and reminding us of our heart and soul and what really matters.

Modelling opened up the world to me. All my friends were bohemian artists and were a little bit appalled when I sold out and did something so bourgeois. I'd say, 'Come on, guys, with what I earn from this job, we can all go to Morocco.'

Modelling was never in my plan. Never.

People say, 'You look so great for your age,' and I say, 'OK, you can leave off the 'for your age' part. Can we all stop qualifying it?'

I think there's little things you can do with a dermatologist that can stave off major, giant surgery, which is really scary. But I'm all for, if something's bothering you, fix it. At least talk to somebody to see what it would take to fix it, and see if that's for you or not.

Photoaging is the worst. It wreaks havoc.

You don't always have to get an expensive gym membership. The important thing is to keep moving and to make it fun and have variety - it's the spice of life.

Look for rash guards that come treated, for further sun protection, and never forget your hat!

I start by moisturizing my face neck and chest with my own anti-aging SPF And IR Defense Sunblock called Recapture 360... Allow to sink in... Then I like Neutrogena's range of spray on sunblocks for body... then I use a foundation with SPF 30 or higher on my face to add yet another layer of protection to my face.

When doing sports... on the water, it's crucial to stop aging by protecting your skin.

I have sun damage that I want to repair, but I also want to keep myself from further damage.

I can't live without knowing I have my extensions and ponytail. So I can run out the door at the drop of a hat.

We need to protect our wilderness areas and national parks. Everywhere you travel, you see blight, denuded mountains, logging. If people know what's going on, they'll become activists to safeguard those places.

I really believe in the old expression that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It's through adversity that you find the strength you never knew you had.

Most of the time, I've got my kids with me, so I'm not as prone to meeting people. And then, you never really know if someone is talking to you because you're a celebrity.

I like coffee in the morning and decaf green tea throughout the day... When I was younger and modeling, to kick-start a diet I would do a juice cleanse.

I liberally apply sunscreen and wear hats.

Whenever I wore a bathing suit, I kept a sarong around my hips that went halfway down my thighs. The tops of my thighs are like baby skin. Where the sarong ended, I can see sun damage: I've got dark spots and places where there is no melanin. The spots are not pretty, so I encourage everyone to protect their skin from the sun.

I had a gorgeous mom. She was beautiful, so I lucked out there.

I crank up the music, and I dance around the house.

I urge people to make your workout fun.

All I ever wanted was a big, happy family.

I really have a deep sense of caring about the air that we breathe and the water that we drink. I want to be able to say that I was trying to protect that. And I also care deeply about children. My children, all children. And I care deeply about giving back.

I just love America. I love living here.

I was basically a surfer girl from California. I never looked like a model.

I came across an older picture of me that someone had posted on Facebook, and I totally remember squirming and feeling very fat while I was shooting it.

I've gotten into the habit of cranking out a set of push-ups before each show to get my blood pumping and find my focus. I worked my way up from eight to 30. That was a real accomplishment.

I have an organic garden and love being able to say, 'I'm going to see what I can pick to throw in my salad.'

Some days I don't have time for a full workout, but I do have to dry my hair, right? So rather than just stand there blow-drying, I do several kinds of leg squats at the same time. I believe in multitasking.

Believe me, I love a good chocolate chip ice cream. I'm not going to go for some lousy version of it. If I'm going to have it, I'm going to have a really good one. I believe in treating yourself occasionally to something.

I have this helicopter crash, and I fall in love with this man who was in the crash with me. I must have been suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Just because people can express themselves through their art doesn't mean they are great communicators in person.