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Modeling can be hard. Sometimes, you get swept off a rock during a topless photoshoot. But sometimes, you get the recognition that you’ve worked so hard to earn.

Kate Upton has secured the #1 spot on Maxim‘s legendary Hot 100 List.

In the immortal words of Kim Kardashian: "It’s what she deserves." Seriously.

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On Thursday, Maxim happily announced that they had reached this wise decision.

At the same time, they debuted the cover for the magazine’s 2018 July/August cover.

Upton is featured on the cover, front and center, right where she belongs.

The 25-year-old was, of course, interviewed within the pages of Maxim.

She’s proud of her achievement. She should be.

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Within the pages of the publication, Upton says:

"You know, I work really hard on myself: on feeling good, working out, being strong."

Good for her!

"Being number one on the Hot 100 is a little reward for all of the hard work."

The enviable spot at the top of this list was filled last year by the ever-gorgeous Hailey Baldwin.

In 2016, Stella Maxwell wore that mantle.

At the height over her popularity, in 2015, Taylor Swift made that rank.

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In a statement, Chief Operating Officer Robert Price spoke about how they reached this very correct decision.

"Our annual Hot 100 issue is about so much more than physical beauty, although this year’s nominees have that in spades."

They sure do, if Upton is any indication.

"Now more than ever, we need to celebrate smart, powerful women who are breaking boundaries, shattering glass ceilings, and showing us what is possible."

You might not think of her for that description, but you would be mistaken.

"None more so than our incredibly talented cover star, Kate Upton."

He’s right!

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When Upton speaks of strength, she’s not just talking about physically toning her limbs and her core.

She’s talking, one assumes, about personal strength of character. About bravery.

It takes unimaginable courage to step forward and make yourself a target by accusing a Guess cofounder of terrible sexual misconduct.

Trauma is difficult to discuss.

But Upton was able to detail her harrowing accusations and even refer to witnesses, some of whom made her feel safer at the time.

That takes, well, a lot of strength.

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Though it was more than Kate Upton’s boobs that that put her on Maxim‘s cover, she is a model by trade.

She is jaw-droppingly gogreous. She is a professional whose career has put her through the wringer.

Every photo of her, whether it’s for an official shoot or just a quick selfie on Instagram, is captivatingly beautiful.

We’re glad to see that, unlike some publications that we could name, Maxim knows what they’re talking about when they settle on who’s the hottest.

Congratulations to Kate.

For that matter, congratulations to Justin Verlander, whom Kate Upton married late last year.

Being the hottest of the hot has to be great. Being married to the hottest of the hot doesn’t sound too shabby, either. For extremely obvious reasons.