Supermodel Gisele Bundchen has spent years staying close to home and her kids as her husband, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, focused on his NFL career.
But as the football star gets closer to retirement, she’s ready to chase her own professional dreams.
“I have a huge list of things that I have to do, that I want to do,” she said in Elle’s latest cover story. “At 42, I feel more connected with my purpose.”
For the past decade, she was less connected to her purpose because she put so much of her energy toward nurturing her children. She told Elle that she worked to create a “cocoon” for the kids and always be there to offer Brady support.
“Seeing my children succeed and become the beautiful little humans that they are, seeing him succeed, and being fulfilled in his career — it makes me happy,” she said.
In the Elle interview, Bundchen did not directly address the divorce rumors that have swirled around the couple after Brady decided to “unretire” this spring and return to the Buccaneers. But she acknowledged that she has “concerns” about how long he’s been playing.
“Obviously, I have my concerns — this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present,” Bundchen said.
But she’s also happy that he’s having fun, she said.
“Ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for (them). He needs to follow his joy, too,” she said.
In the months and years ahead, Bundchen plans to follow her own joy and work on a variety of projects, including initiatives aimed at helping the environment, she told Elle.
“Bundchen knows how easy it is to feel discouraged by the damage we have inflicted on our planet, but refuses to surrender to such a mentality,” Elle reported.