Kate Upton Temporarily Lost Her Hearing and Eyesight After Swimsuit Photoshoot in Antarctica

Kate Upton dished on what it was like to pose for the camera wearing only bikini in the freezing weather of the South Pole. "It was freezing," the 20-year-old model told "Today" on Tuesday, February 12. "I'm from Florida, so it wasn't easy for me."

"When I came back, I was losing my hearing and eyesight. My body was shutting down because it was working so hard to keep me warm," she continued during a media tour to promote the latest issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit where she graced the cover.

Posing in a Canada Goose Chilliwack Bomber coat with hoodie up and a white Letarte by Lisa Cabrinha bottoms with snow-covered land of Antarctica as a picturesque backdrop, she joked, "The penguins kept me going. They're adorable."

"It was definitely the hardest shoot I've ever done," the curvy beauty additionally told PEOPLE in a seperate interview. "The best as well - Antarctica is one of the most beautiful place I've ever been to. But I'm from Florida, so it was pretty painful."

"It was difficult," Swimsuit Issue senior editor MJ Day recalled. "First of all, it's cold, even though we were there in summer. The windchill was sub-zero... the elements are really working against you." As the crew dealt with lots of issues, dying batteries and crazy weather, Upton was a total pro.

Day applauded Upton for never complaining during the freezing photoshoot, "We should name a passageway after her down there. She braved six days in a bikini while we were head-to-toe in jackets ... No one will ever accuse her of being a whiny model, ever."

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