Petra Nemcova was the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covergirl of 2003 and a courageous survivor of the tsunami in Thailand. Despite the devastating blow she was dealt, Nemcova remains a captivating beauty with charm and wit to match and has become an international phenomenon. 

 

Since her introduction to modeling, Petra Nemcova has worked with some of the industry's most prominent photographers, most notably, Mario Testino, Gilles Bensimon, Patric Demarchelier, Vincent Peters and Christophe Kutner. Her sultry looks have been featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle, Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan. She has appeared in advertising campaigns for high-profile brands such as Pantene, Lancaster, La Perla, Max Factor, Clarins, and Cartier. 

 

In August 2006 she was chosen as the face of a major campaign for the John Lewis department store group in the UK. A survivor of one of the world's most destructive natural disasters, Petra Nemcova tells the inspiring story of what she learned about the preciousness of life and the importance of living in the moment. She shares the message that everyone has the choice to learn from hardship and use the experience to help make the most of everyday. She provides excerpts of her autobiography, Love Always, Petra to further illustrate her powerful and uplifting message. In a more light-hearted presentation, Nemcova provides humorous anecdotes about the un-glamorous side of fashion, and what really goes on behind the scenes. 

 

As a young girl in Karvina, a small town in her native Czech Republic, Nemcova dreamed of becoming a model and her wish finally came true when she was hand-picked by an agent at a local talent show. The Czech beauty was always intrigued by the world of fashion and actually studied design before being discovered. 

 

In 2005, Petra Nemcova established the Happy Hearts Fund with Give2Asia to support children who are the victims of natural, economic and health-related disasters. Her commitment to raising funds for charity has been recognized by numerous organizations including Glamour's "Women of the Year" and Vanity Fair's "Women in the Know."