Legendary supermodel Christie Brinkley at 60

Legendary supermodel Christie Brinkley retired from the runway decades ago and is still the envy of women half her age.

The mother of four has shunned plastic surgery, saying that she hasn’t gone under the knife but wouldn’t rule it out in future to preserve her stunning looks.

“I’m actually excited about turning 60,” Brinkley tells PEOPLE. “I feel such a surge of energy.” She’s happy to close the book on the last decade. “My 50s weren’t easy,” she says. “I lost both my parents and went through a miserable divorce [from architect Peter Cook] while trying to be a pillar for my kids. But I made it through. Now I feel on top of my game.”

Brinkley, who gets back in familiar territory in Sports Illustrated’s 50th anniversary swimsuit issue, could easily pass for someone half her age.

“At 60, I’m going to do whatever I feel like,” she says. “If I feel like it, I’ll still wear miniskirts, as long as I don’t bring shame to my children!” She adds: “Women are not to be brushed under the carpet because they’re a certain age,” she says. “When I started out, I remember very clearly a group of successful models saying, ‘You will be burned up and thrown away by the time you’re 30.’”

She credits her looks to a lifelong passion for healthy living. She stopped eating meat at 13 and follows a mostly vegan diet thanks to 15-year-old daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook.

“I love hanging out in health food stores. Some people are gourmands who love a fish smothered in cream. That doesn’t appeal to me. I treat every day like I’m eating to fuel my body.” Her fitness routine allows the 5’9” model to fit into size 27 jeans, but she insists she can yo-yo like everybody else.

“I will gain weight. My closet is proof,” she says. “I have jeans in sizes from 24, when I danced on Broadway in Chicago, to size 28. Sometimes I eat a lot of pasta.” But if she’s added a few too many pounds, “then I just get on the stick and exercise more. The more active I am, the better I feel.”

Agencies/Canadajournal