At age seventeen, Ireland was officially "discovered" by Elite Model Management—the agency that propels most aspiring models’ careers, including that of North Dakota native CariDee English, the winner of the most recent cycle of supermodel Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model. After high school, Ireland gave up plans to study marine biology, journalism, or education, and instead was Europe-bound for photo shoots and the beginning of her new model-led life.

Ireland’s budding career in modeling really took off in 1989 when she snagged the coveted and sought-after cover of Sports Illustrated’'s swimsuit edition, after which she would appear an additional two times for the swimsuit cover, in 1992 and in 1994, alongside models Elle Macpherson and Rachel Hunter. Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition has also included famous models on its cover such as Christie Brinkley, Macpherson, Banks, Rebecca Romijn, and Heidi Klum. Ireland’s work in Sports Illustrated also led her to grace the covers of other major magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Shape, Seventeen, Glamour, and Mademoiselle.

Ireland soon expanded her modeling career into other areas in which she was interested. For example, she had her own line of clothing sold by Kmart, and had a brief stint giving fitness tips on television on BodyShaping. She also branched out into acting, with film credits in Side Out in 1990, with C Thomas Howell, Peter Horton, Courtney Thorne Smith, and Harley Jane Kozak; Mr. Destiny in 1990, which featured actors James Belushi, Linda Hamilton, Michael Caine, Jon Lovitz, Rene Russo, and Courteney Cox; Necessary Roughness in 1991; Loaded Weapon I in 1993, co-starring Emilio Estevez, Samuel L Jackson, Jon Lovitz, and Tim Curry; The Player, as herself; and Backfire! in 1995.

Ireland also guest starred in a number of notable TV series, such as Boy Meets World, Melrose Place, Fantastic Four, Suddenly Susan, and Touched By An Angel. Ireland is also an author, having published Powerful Inspirations: Eight Lessons That Will Change Your Life, a public speaker on women’s issues, a fashionista, and a certified fitness instructor. She is also pro-life.

She launched her own multibillion-dollar marketing company and industry, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, and is an active humanitarian, as the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Ambassador for the National Women's Cancer Research Alliance and the Honorary Chairperson for the March of Dimes WalkAmerica program, for example. She is also active with Feed the Children and Special Olympics. Ireland lives in California with her husband, Greg Olson, and their two children.

YUDDY