During the early 70s in Slovakia, the economic outlook wasn't exactly what you'd term rosy, and Adriana wanted a better lifestyle. As such, she began studying medicine in Prague, and during this time she entered a modeling contest on a whim.

And she won.

One of the stipulations of the first place getter was that she would have to up and leave for Paris and sign on for a modeling contract, and so Adriana's medical aspirations were put on hold.

After getting to grips with the hectic and often demanding and militant lifestyle of being a model, Adriana's dazzling beauty caught the eye of Next modeling agency in New York, and Elite Modeling in Milan.

From here it was just up and up for the Slovakian model, and when she scored the role of the new "Wonder Bra" spokesmodel, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition appearance and a contract with the US-based Victoria's Secret lingerie brand, people stood up and took notice.

Standing 5'10" tall, Adriana went on to win hundreds of advertising contracts, not to mention the minds of millions of ardent fans.

Today she lives in Madrid with husband Christian Karembeu, and recently turned down a role in an Italian movie because she believes "...that a model should not diversify too much from his/her objectives." Isn't that refreshing?

by Sara Templeton