Yahoo Lifestyle Petra Nemcova Says Being Mom to Son Bodhi, 5, Makes 'Every Day Full of Magic' (Exclusive)
Twenty years after losing her boyfriend in the 2004 tsunami, Nemcova found joy again through her global philanthropy and life at home with her family
Growing up, Petra Nemcova had never heard of tsunamis. Her introduction tragically came first-hand when she was caught up in the disaster that swept through parts of Asia in 2004 after a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia.
Twenty years later, Nemcova says her five-year-old son, Bodhi, is thankfully fairly well-versed in the topic thanks to one of his favorite TV shows.
"Octonauts is this animated series, and they are rescuing different animals around the world. And they were talking about tsunamis, and so he learned. I was like, 'Great. He knows about tsunamis. I didn't know about tsunamis. I wish I knew,' " the supermodel, now 45, says.
Nemcova's then-boyfriend, photographer Simon Atlee, was killed in the 2004 tsunami. The couple had been vacationing in Thailand for the holidays when the disaster hit.
Nemcova recalls how she "barely survived" in this week's issue of PEOPLE — her pelvis was broken in four places, and she clung to a palm tree for eight hours before being rescued.
Her experience inspired her to launch the Happy Hearts Fund, which she founded in 2005 to support children affected by these disasters by rebuilding safer schools in the affected areas.
Nemcova's organization has since grown into the nonprofit she co-founded, All Hands and Hearts, unique in their ability to help global communities as they arrive on site early and stay late to help rebuild schools and homes in a disaster-resilient way. All Hands and Hearts, which is unique in their ability to help global communities as they arrive on site early and stay late to help rebuild schools and homes in a disaster-resilient way.
"You are helping others to rebuild their lives, but many times your life also gets, in a way, rebuilt,” Nemcova says of the volunteer work in more than 28 countries globally. “You find a purpose.”
The supermodel says her life now is one full of just that: purpose and joy. In 2019, she married entrepreneur Benjamin Larretche, and together they share son Bodhi.
"There's no regular day in the life as a mom," Nemcova says with a laugh. "Every day is different. but every day is full of magic. It's [about] just living every day in gratitude for every blessing every morning, and being able to be with my son, my husband — people I love."
For more on Petra Nemcova's account of the 2004 tsunami and other survivor stories, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe.
