Petra Nemcova is a Czech fashion model that many people will remember as the model that was stuck holding onto the top of a palm tree, for 8 hours, during the 2004 tsunami that hit Thailand. Her main photographer and fiancé, Simon Atlee was killed when the tsunami struck, and Petra suffered a broken pelvis and serious internal injuries, but she has sure bounced back since then.

Glamour magazine recently awarded Petra Nemcova a “Survivor Award” for the tsunami ordeal, and how she has picked up her life since then (her comeback being complete with her appearance in the 2006 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue).

She wrote Love Always, Petra, published December 2005. It tells of her early life under Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, her entrance into the field of fashion and modeling, and her breakthrough into Sports Illustrated, which was her springboard to becoming a supermodel. She also tells of her life with Simon Atlee and how they fell in love and became engaged to marry.

Here’s a couple of hi-res fashion pics of Petra Nemcova. Click on the pics for larger images.

Her website has a lot of annoying Flash crap that just makes you have to wait. Look for the Skip intro link at the top right. I didn’t see it until I sat through a bunch of totally stupid, useless animations.

Petra Nemcova Official Web Site (Opens in new window)

This just in: Supermodel Petra Nemcova and singer/songwriter James Blunt have split