Kathy Ireland manages to keep pace as a busy mother and a mega mogul.
by bonnie siegler • photograph by jonathan exley
So why was former swimsuit supermodel turned business entrepreneur Kathy Ireland unhappy when she saw more of herself? “My son, Erik had received a camera for Christmas last year and he took a very unflattering picture of me — oh my gosh!” recalls the 46-year-old who had gained 25 pounds over the years.
“I didn’t even recognize myself.” Turning lemons into lemonade, Ireland did what she has done so often over the years. With determination, discipline and good humor, she lost the 25 pounds and looks better — and healthier — than ever.
Today she’s transformed herself from supermodel to super-mogul heading up a billion-dollar business, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, that produces everything from clothing to carpeting. Wearing no visible make-up and her long, thick hair falling loosely about her face, Kathy could pass for your average LA working mom. “I realized that I wanted to be there for my kids (Erik, 14, Chloe, 10, Lily, 6) and that I had to shape up so that I could be my best for them, be there for them and keep up with them. One thing I realized for certain was my metabolism really slowed down after forty. I used to be able to have a dessert everyday, but I have all but given up sugar desserts now. And for me, that’s huge.” But she will never utter the word “diet” in our conversation. “That word triggers something in me. I would rather use the phrase ‘food choices’ which I do in my books.”
There’s an amazing honesty about her. She minces no words talking about the inevitable aging process and everything that it means. “I had a fun week,” she muses, her emerald green eyes sparkling. “I got my first colonoscopy. The aging process is very humbling. And I got my mammogram… the whole deal.” Kathy states that turning thirty was a milestone in life, but has her outlook changed at all? “There are things about the aging process I don’t like. I don’t look forward to my body not being able to do the things that I want it to do and I pray that my mind stays sharp. But, honestly, I do look forward to growing older. I have friends in their eighties who are so wise and I love being in their company. I love what experience brings to life.”
So when she grows up, Kathy wants to be an old woman, as the saying goes. “Exactly,” she beams. “I want each year to count for something. I want to grow and not be afraid to make mistakes… at least not devastating ones. Life is such a journey and there’s a lot of pressure, particularly on women, to stay young and I just don’t understand that.” She also works out with a trainer or takes to the beach near her Santa Barbara home for surfing, swimming or biking, often times with her children.
“As a family, we’re finding ways to do things together,” says Kathy, who’s married to an ER physician. “Last week we had fun making pizza. Okay, I cheated a little bit and went to the store for the dough. But it was still preparing and cutting up vegetables.”
Through her work, Kathy has expanded her career and become a successful author with the release of her bestselling first book “Powerful Inspirations” and the recent follow-up “Real Solutions For Busy Moms.” Each year, Kathy puts on her walking shoes for the “Barbara Ireland Walk For The Cure,” a 10-mile annual charity walk with her mother’s namesake. The mission of the walk is to raise money, of which 100 percent of the proceeds go to Breast Cancer Resource Center. “I keep hoping that when my girls get older, that somebody might have developed technology besides that contraption. But clearly, it’s one of those things a woman has to do. I think we feel guilty if we take care of ourselves. We have to give ourselves time for our own health. Just get informed.” Getting the word out there is one of Kathy’s goals in life. “Beautiful people come in all sizes. We all want to be healthy. I hope I can inspire other busy moms.”
