Petra Němcová

Petra Němcová is a Czech model, television personality, and humanitarian. She gained international prominence through her extensive work in fashion and media, as well as her dedicated philanthropic efforts following a life-altering natural disaster. She is widely recognized as the founder of the Happy Hearts Fund and for her ongoing leadership with the global relief organization All Hands And Hearts - Smart Response.

Born in Karviná, Czechoslovakia, in what is now the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic, Němcová began her path toward international modeling after being scouted on the streets of Prague by NEXT Model Management. Her professional journey accelerated after winning the Czech Elite Model Look competition in 1995, leading her to relocate to Milan, Italy, to establish her career.

Over the course of her modeling career, Němcová appeared in promotional campaigns for numerous global commercial and luxury brands, including Benetton, Bulgari, Cartier, Intimissimi, La Perla, Pantene Pro-V, Victoria's Secret, and Chopard. In 2015, she became the face of Ultimo lingerie. She walked the runway for various fashion designers and gained broad public recognition after featuring on the cover of the 2003 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, alongside participating in several other annual editions of the magazine. Her image has also graced the covers of prominent international publications such as Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour.

Beyond modeling, Němcová expanded her public profile through television and publishing. She appeared on the British comedy series Absolutely Fabulous in 2001, served as a judge for the Miss Universe competition in 2004, and hosted the television show A Model Life in 2007. That same year, she presented at the Live Earth event in the United States. She later competed on the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars and made an appearance in a television special featuring The Muppets. In 2005, she published her autobiography, Love Always, Petra.

In December 2004, Němcová survived the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami while staying in Khao Lak, Thailand. Although her partner Simon Atlee tragically drowned, Němcová survived severe injuries and spent eight hours holding onto a palm tree until local civilians rescued her. She directed all proceeds from her autobiography toward supporting children impacted by natural disasters.

Driven by her experience, Němcová launched the Happy Hearts Fund in 2005 to reconstruct schools in regions devastated by natural catastrophes. Her foundation successfully rebuilt 176 schools across ten countries, including Thailand, Haiti, Nepal, and the Philippines. In late 2017, the organization merged with All Hands Volunteers to establish All Hands And Hearts - Smart Response, where she assumed the roles of co-founder and vice chair.

Němcová's humanitarian work has earned her several notable honors. She received Glamour magazine's Survivor Award in 2005, was named Ambassador-at-Large for Haiti in 2012, and was appointed a Disaster Risk Reduction Champion and Tsunami Awareness Advocate by UNISDR in 2017. In her personal life, Němcová married entrepreneur Benjamin Larretche in 2019, and the couple welcomed their first child later that year.