Petra Němcová Auctions, Preserves Tibetan Heritage

Supermodel Petra Němcová's life changed forever in 2004 when she found herself caught in the tsunami that killed nearly 350,000 people. Clinging to a palm tree in Thailand for eight hours -- and losing her fiancé to the tidal wave -- Němcová became a symbol of hope and survival to millions worldwide. The stunning Czech model has parlayed that new image into a serious philanthropic career, and she continues her quest for education and awareness by co-hosting a benefit auction tonight at Christie's for the Tibet House, an organization aimed at preserving and restoring Tibet's unique cultural and spiritual heritage. Here's Němcová, phoning all the way from Dubai, on how the tsunami changed her life, the perils of modeling too young, and why Audrey Hepburn is the ultimate role model.

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Can you tell me about the Tibet House Benefit Auction and how you got involved in that?
This is my second time hosting the event; I hosted it last year as well. It’s an auction at Christie’s, and a lot of the items are very adventurous—for example a trip to Bhutan, but done in a very special way. There’s also a $20,000 shopping spree at Donna Karan. I’m hosting it with Robert Thurman, who is a professor of Tibetan Studies at Columbia University and the president of Tibet House. One of the items up for bid is dinner with Robert and his daughter Uma.

And what exactly does Tibet House do?
They’re trying to preserve the cultural treasures of Tibetan heritage. The people of Tibet have been struggling for some time now; I haven’t been to Tibet, but I’ve been on the edge of it—in Nepal—and the culture has been close to my heart for many years. They’ve always had such a peaceful approach to life, especially when you consider the violence they’ve been stricken with. And unfortunately it’s a culture that’s been endangered, so I’d like to help to try and preserve it by bringing more awareness to it.

Along with your Happy Hearts Fund, you’ve started to take philanthropy head-on. Is this charitable outlook a result of your experience with the tsunami in 2004?
People often think that was the time when I started doing philanthropic work, but years before that, I knew my goal in life was to help people, especially children. So when the tsunami happened, it just sped up the process.

How did the tsunami speed it up?
After it happened, I just got many more opportunities to help than before, and I made the best out of them. Immediately I got a lot more media attention, and different people from different industries approached me about helping them with different causes. They were also willing to listen. If I came to them with certain ideas, they had much more open minds.

When you were modeling full time, did you have aspirations for a life afterward?
I would say that eight or nine years ago, I started to not be able to see my life without me helping others. I knew that it was going to be a part of my life. Of course, I’ll continue to model because I need to feed my family.

Do you think you’d be able to do the things you’re doing now if you weren’t a famous model?
We all have our own talents. I believe that if someone really wants to help others, they’ll find a way, whether they are famous or not. You don’t need money to help others, you need time. I know a lot of actors who want to help but are very limited because of their crazy schedules.

Is there anyone in particular you admire or you’d like to model your career after?
It would be Audrey Hepburn. She’s a graceful, incredible, beautiful, philanthropic woman, with a big heart.

Are you still modeling?
Yeah. I’m modeling for a few campaigns, but slowly I’m focusing more on the philanthropy. I want to be more involved in developing programs.

What about your hosting duties on A Model Life? Are you going to do another season?
Well, it was more of a one-year thing. I wanted to help out this young girls, not just with modeling lessons, but with life lessons. But in the end it just wasn’t for me, because it took up too much time. There are only 24 hours in a day, so I had to decide what my priorities were, and if I was to continue doing the show, I wouldn’t be able to focus on my philanthropy.

Are girls getting into modeling at too early an age?
Yes, I definitely think so. It takes away from their childhood, which they’ll never get back. Your childhood and teen years are important times to explore who you are as a person, and if you’re influenced by people who know how to manipulate you, I don’t think those are the healthiest surroundings. It’s important during that age, when you’re being shaped into who you will be, to be surrounded by caring and loving people.

So there are people in the modeling industry who are dangerous?
Definitely, but it doesn’t have to be in the modeling industry. Not everyone has your best intentions, and you often find yourself at places where you’re surrounded by people who don’t exactly have the greatest values. It can be a club where all the gangster kids go.

What are your plans for the holidays?
The first few days of Christmas I’m going to be with my parents and sister in the Czech Republic. And it’s still up in the air, but we might go to New Zealand. Where are you going?

I’m going to Canada.
Oh, nice. I like it there. Canadians are nice people.

So where do you like to grab a drink in New York?
I love Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel, and also the rooftop at the hotel. It’s great for breakfast.