Ivana Zelníčková
| Ivana Trump | |
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Ivana Trump in 2007
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| Born |
Ivana Marie Zelníčková February 20, 1949 Zlín, Czechoslovakia |
| Alma mater | Charles University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | |
Ivana Marie Trump (née Zelníčková, Czech pronunciation: [ˈɪvana ˈmarɪjɛ ˈzɛlɲiːt͡ʃkovaː]; February 20, 1949) is a Czech-American businesswoman and former fashion model. She was the first wife of Donald Trump from 1977 until 1992.
Ivana Zelníčková was born in the Moravian town of Zlín (formerly known as Gottwaldov), Czechoslovakia, the daughter of Miloš Zelníček, who was Czech, and Marie Francová, who was Austrian. From a very young age, her father nurtured and encouraged her skiing talent. In the early 1970s, she attended Charles University in Prague.
According to Zelníčková, she was selected as an alternate on the Czechoslovak ski team during the 1972 Winter Olympics, her specialties being the downhill and slalom. However, in 1989, Petr Pomezný, Secretary General of the Czechoslovak Olympic Committee, said, "Who is this Ivana woman, and why do people keep calling us about her? We have searched so many times and have consulted many, many people, and there is no such girl in our records."
In 1971, Zelníčková married Austrian real estate agent Alfred Winklmayr. They divorced in 1973. She left Czechoslovakia for Canada to be with a childhood friend, George Syrovatka, who owned a ski boutique there. For the following two years, she lived in Montreal, improved her English by taking night courses at McGill University, and worked as a model for some of Canada's top fur companies. Zelníčková then left Syrovatka and moved to New York to promote the Montreal Olympics.
In New York, Zelníčková met Donald Trump, son of real estate developer Fred Trump. On April 7, 1977, they married in a lavish wedding officiated by Norman Vincent Peale. Donald and Ivana Trump became leading figures in New York society during the 1980s. They worked on several large projects, including the renovation of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, construction of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. They had three children: Donald John Jr. (born December 31, 1977), Ivana Marie (born October 30, 1981, called Ivanka), and Eric Fredrick (born January 6, 1984). Donald Jr. learned to speak fluent Czech (with help of his maternal grandfather), while daughter Ivanka has only basic understanding of her mother's native tongue and Eric was not exposed to the language because at the time of his birth his grandparents were already comfortable enough in using English. Ivana has eight grandchildren.
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