Turns out Kate Upton's bombshell looks have nothing to do with hours spent in the gym or munching on carrots; the Sports Illustrated bikini model credits her mom Shelley for her good looks.

The bikini model recently shared a snapshot of her mom on Instagram telling Buzz at a "Mademoiselle C" party in New York that her "mom is definitely hot stuff," the New York Post reports.

"She's a very confident woman. I guess I just learned from watching her carry herself," Upton continued.

Shelley, a former Texas state tennis champion, accompanied her famous daughter to the 10th Annual Style Awards in New York where Upton was crowned Model Of The Year. Upton has been making headlines lately for her stunning editorials and sexy photo shoots. Success came rather quickly for the young model. Shelley recently told Allure magazine that she was "amazed" by her daughter's rise to stardom.

"Who would have known? It's been a very, very busy few years," she said. "We came here to New York with her when she was 18 and said, 'We'll give it a year.' And I said, 'I think in that year's time, you'll be able to find out if it's something that's meant for you and if you like it.' And in that year it was amazing what happened."

Her mom told the magazine that her daughter's energy and personality as well as her looks are what helped her modeling career take off.

"She's just so enthusiastic about everything. And when she's excited about something, she gives it her best," she said. "I just am so proud about how she has handled all the pressure that goes along with all the success. She seems to take it in stride and doesn't seem to be inhibited at all."