Olivia Culpo Reflects On ‘Surreal’ Experience Shooting With A Python For ‘SI: Swimsuit’: ‘It Was Crazy’

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For the second year in a row Olivia Culpo is slaying the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, but this time, it’s with a snake wrapped around her! The 2019 issue was unveiled on May 8 (on her 27th birthday, nonetheless). “I had a python on me!” the model deadpanned during an exclusive interview with HollywoodLife while promoting her partnership with Colgate Optic White at Tribeca Film Festival. “It was crazy! So much wildlife!” The former Miss Universe wasn’t kidding. In the photos, released today with the highly-anticipated magazine, Olivia holds her head high while topless, wrapped in the large deadly snake.

“This was one of my hardest days for personal reasons (as some of you may remember). I landed in Australia to shoot these photos with some info that rocked my world,” Olivia reminisced in an Instagram caption accompanying the pictures. “Looking back at this first picture, I know exactly what was going through my mind at the time. I was so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be doing something I had dreamed of, and wished and hoped for since I was a little girl. And I sit here today feeling SO grateful.”

Olivia added, “I feel like I worked really hard, and hope I can use my experience to inspire people to 1. Always follow your dreams 2. Know the power of the law of attraction and manifesting what you want in life 3. Try your hardest to always give thanks, even when it is difficult and you may not understand why certain things happen when they do. Even though I was struggling on this day, I know in this picture I was thanking God for the opportunities life has given me and for making every day a blessing.”

In her interview with HollywoodLife, Olivia called the experience “surreal.” “This shoot is special because I was all the way in South Australia!” she explained. When preparing for major shoots, like Sports Illustrated, the Rhode Island native revealed that she does a lot of weight training and tends to focus the most on her core and lower body! “When I am catering a workout and I’m in the gym with a trainer or by myself, I always stick to lower body and core. Those are the two areas that I feel like I can see the best results that I want for bikini season,” she said. “Everybody is different. Everybody has their own areas that they want to target. Running, as well, is just a great way to stay super lean,” Olivia added. “That’s what I always recommend for people who are trying to lose weight. I don’t really do a ton of cardio as much as weight training anymore, I want to build muscle!”