Kate Upton Got Frostbite During Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Shoot

USMagazine, Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 8:10am (PST)

Now that's suffering for art. For the second year in a row, Kate Upton graces the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue -- wearing nothing but a parka in a photo shoot that took place in Antarctica.

PHOTOS: Kate's hot body

"It was freezing!" the blonde Florida native, 20, noted during a Tuesday Feb. 12 appearance on the TODAY show. "It wasn't great for me . . .I can't believe we were able to accomplish that." Joining the ranks of Tyra Banks, Elle MacPherson and other supermodels who've scored multiple covers of the coveted swimsuit issue, Upton confirmed that she even suffered frostbite after the job was done.

PHOTOS: Best celebrity bikini bodies

"When I came back, I [temporarily lost my] hearing and eyesight," she said, "Because my body was shutting down -- working so hard to keep me warm." And the curvaceous beauty had very special -- and adorable! -- motivators during the task, too.

PHOTOS: Hottest bodies in Hollywood

"The penguins kept me going!" she recalled. "They're adorable. Anytime I was like, 'I can't do it anymore, I can't do it!' I would look at them and I was like. Okay, for them . . . "

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Kate Upton Got Frostbite During Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Shoot