Katherine "Kate" Upton[1] (born June 10, 1992) is an American model and actress, known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.Upton was named Rookie of the Year following her first SI appearance in 2011 and was the cover model for the 2012 and 2013 issues. She was also the subject of the 100th Anniversary Vanity Fair cover.

Katherine Upton was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, and raised in Melbourne, Florida. She is the daughter of the former Texas state tennis champion, Shelley Upton, and high school athletics director Jeff Upton. She attended Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy. Her uncle is U.S. Representative Fred Upton (R-MI). Upton's great-grandfather, Frederick Upton, was co-founder of appliance manufacturer and marketer Whirlpool Corporation.

As a young equestrian, Upton showed at the American Paint Horse Association and competed at a national level. With her horse Roanie Pony, she won three APHA Reserve World Championships — 13 and Under Western Riding, 13 and Under Horsemanship, and 14–18 Western Riding. She was named the 13 and Under Reserve All-Around Champion, giving her a total of four reserve championships (2nd place).^[16] In addition, Upton ended up third overall on the APHA youth Top Twenty. With a second horse, Zipped, she won 14–18 Western Riding and was included in the top 5 in 14–18 Horsemanship and 14–18 Western Pleasure in 2009.

Upton has expressed that her belief in God is important to her. During a photo shoot, someone joked about a cross necklace she wore, "Why are you wearing a cross? Like you would be religious," then took the necklace from her to do the shoot. Upton stated about the incident: "I was really affected by that. The whole thing made me realize that I do want a cross with me, at all times." As a result, Upton had a cross tattooed on the inside of her finger.