Petra Nemcova felt a "weight lifted" from her shoulders after she was caught in a tsunami.

She said: "You know, one of the things the tsunami taught me is not to over-think the future ... before the tsunami I always lived in the future, never the present, but planning places so much pressure on you; it is such a weight on your shoulders.

"For me, after the tsunami that weight lifted. I think of it as one of the gifts that it gave me. I am no longer stuck in the future, I can simply enjoy the moment that is now."

Since losing her fiance 10 years ago, the 35-year-old beauty has founded a charity named Happy Hearts which builds schools in areas affected by natural disasters and she claims that although she always knew she wanted to help children, she feels the experience helped to motivate her.

Petra explained: "I think most people have a mission in life, a role they feel set to play - mine has always been that I wanted to work with children and in education. The tsunami happened and it fast-forwarded the process."

Petra - who is originally from the Czech Republic but now calls Haiti her home and is dating the nation's president Laurent Lamothe - insists she will always remain thankful despite suffering such a painful loss.

She added to MailOnline: "I think one of the things I've always had is gratitude. Every morning when I wake up and every evening before I fall asleep I say thanks.

"Not for huge things, just things that have happened that day, the experience I have had, the people I have met, and the things that the new day will bring."

The stunning blonde - who previously dated actor Sean Penn - also admits she would love to have children, although she's currently happy with the "67,000" she already has attending her schools.