Petra-Nemcova, Biography, Images, Videos, News

Born and raised in Karvina, in the former Czechoslovakia, Petra Nemcova has taken the modeling world by storm. Ever since a modeling scout discovered her on the streets of her native country, she seems to be plastered in every magazine layout and advertisement.

Petra Nemcova modelled "swimsuits" for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue in 2002 and, the following year, she appeared on the cover of the magazine that launched several modeling contracts for her. In addition to her work for SI, the Next Agency model graced the pages of Elle, Harper's Bazaar and the French magazine Madame Figaro, and was a model for companies like Max Factor, La Perla and Cartier.

Her first American TV appearance was on the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, where the smitten host (who announced his love for her and British singer Dido) predicted that she would make the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue in 2003 -- and he was right.

In December 2004, Petra and her boyfriend Simon Atlee (a British fashion photographer) were caught in the devastating Asian tsunami disaster. Their hut on the Thai beach resort of Khao Lak was swept away by the tsunami, leaving Petra holding on to a tree for eight hours while the water washed by. She was rescued and taken to a hospital to treat a broken pelvis and several internal injuries. Unfortunately, Simon Atlee died.

Petra Nemcova considered herself "lucky to be alive," and she gave back to those who were not as lucky by posing from her hospital bed for Us Weekly as a fundraising effort to donate $200,000 to tsunami relief efforts. She also started the Happy Hearts Fund -- whose mission is to help children who've been affected by hardship or loss as a result of natural, economic or natural disasters -- as well as wrote a book, Love Always, Petra, which was published in December 2005.

2007 was a year of humanitarianism for Petra Nemcova. Not only was she a presenter at the American leg of Live Earth in July 2007, but she also visited Haiti in November with Wyclef Jean as part of a charity-sponsored event. She even became a vegan! Her philanthropy alone would have garnered her a spot on our Top 99 Most Desirable Women list (not really), but Petra has also got beauty by the boat load, which is the real reason why she made our list in 2008.