"I’m a little bit of a mix" - When Justin Verlander's wife Kate Upton opened up about whether she embraced glam or grit as a teenager

Justin Verlander's wife, Kate Upton, grew up with horses before shining under the brightest lights of Victoria's Secret. She has always been a fascinating mix of glamor and grit.

While her public appearances on the red carpet have only given way for the world to find her as a glamorous supermodel, not many are aware of her equestrian skills, through which she won three APHA Reserve World Championships.

During an interview with Image magazine in August 2014, Upton revealed that growing up, she was equally comfortable in a more down-to-earth, tomboyish lifestyle. She reflected on her teenage years, explaining that she wasn’t strictly a girly girl or a tomboy — she was a blend of both.

"I’m a little bit of a mix – a girlie girl and a tomboy," she said. "When I’m in a city, I’m girlie. But when I’m around a barn (horse farm), I turn into a tomboy."

Raised in Florida, Kate Upton grew up riding horses. The barn was her second home, a place where she felt at ease in jeans and boots, working hard and getting her hands dirty.

In the same interview, she said she recognized herself as "adventurous, fearless and kind."

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Kate Upton's journey from barn to runway to finding solace with Justin Verlander and their daughter

Kate Upton's modeling career skyrocketed when she landed the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition in 2012, but the moment she truly felt she had made it was when she appeared on American Vogue’s cover.

"Vogue was incredible because I got to work with the best in the business – Tonne Goodman, Mario Testino," Upton said. "I was able to see why the greatest minds in the industry have gotten where they are."

Since then, Upton has made the SI Swimsuit issue cover four times, with the latest coming in last year on the occasion of the magazine's 60th anniversary.

As her modeling career took off, she also met her future partner, Justin Verlander, on the set of a Major League Baseball video game commercial in 2012.

After dating for three years, the couple tied the knot in November 2017. The following November, they welcomed their daughter Genevieve "Vivi" Upton Verlander.