Petra Nemcova

Petra Nemcova is a Czechoslovakian fashion model and author. She was born on June 24, 1979 in Karvina. She has modeled for many companies in the women's clothing market sector including Victoria's Secret. She is a breakout star for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in 2002 and made her way to the cover page for the 2003 edition of the magazine. The 53rd annual Miss Universe competition had Petra Nemcova as one of the telecast judges in Quito, Ecuador. Petra was at the Khao Lak resort in Thailand with photographer and fiance, Simon Atlee when the tsunami cause by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake struck the shores of Thailand. Atlee passed away in the incident but Nemcova survived with some serious injuries. She was rescued by Thai civilians who airlifted her to a hospital. She spent three week there before returning to the Czech Republic. She was awarded a 'Survivor Award' by Glamour magazine for the tsunami incident. She has recovered since then and has once again graced the pages of SI with an appearance on the 2006 edition of the magazine. Petra has also appeared in world class magazines such as Elle and Harper's Bazaar. This Next agency model has worked for companies such as Max Factor, La Perla and Cartier. In December 2005, she wrote 'Love Always, Petra, ISBN 0446579130'; which describes her childhood life under the Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. It also describes her entry into the world of fashion and modeling. Petra Nemcova has recently been romantically linked to singer James Blunt. The two have also been photographed together several times.