Cali Rae Turner

I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them.

The family is very important. They make me feel good always because if I won, when I started to be famous, the relationship never changed with my friends and family.

It’s incredible watching my son grow up and learn to read, discover the world and test boundaries. Being a mum is the greatest joy of my life, definitely.

They say that no matter how old you become, when you are with your siblings, you revert back to childhood.

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.

[On his mother’s adversity] She had a very difficult beginning… All of my mothers family were killed… and she came to America at the time of the depression. It was not an easy life at all.

I was probably 10 or 11 when I saw that, and sort of started thinking, ‘You know what? Marriage is an option. Having a family is an option. And going to school and getting your education and building your career is another really viable option that can lead to happiness and fulfillment.

It’s her first grandchild, so she’s really, really, really excited. I guess my mom is a little more stressed out than me.

My siblings are my best friends.

I tell my children now that they are older, ‘If something happens to me… don’t make no big fuss over me. Don’t make no big expense on my funeral. Don’t put any pressure on the rest of the family. I’ve loved everybody, and I hope they loved me. But don’t create this big expense for the family.’

Up until I was 12 my sisters used to dress me up as a girl and introduce me as ‘Claudia’! Twelve was a turning point as I moved to a mixed school and then I became cool and discovered hair gel.

How do people make it through life without a sister?

Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.

Father was the eldest son and the heir apparent, and he set the standard for being a Rockefeller very high, so every achievement was taken for granted and perfection was the norm.

My most important title is “mom-in-chief”. My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the centre of my world.