Aja zanova
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Under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic there were 80 local artists, craftsmen and musicians participating in the project.
Czerny relocated to United States of America in 2002 and currently resides with her husband in Florida, U.S.A. She now writes in her second language.
Vera Czerny is a published author of many interviews with celebrities from Czech show business, sport or politics.
Once an Editor-in-Chief of magazine Hallo in Prague, her production agency represented multiple singing artists and music groups. Among many interesting projects over the years, she also produced a complex program for the Smithsonian Institution 1995 Festival of American Folklife.
We planned to start her biography upon her return from Prague, in a fall of 2016. However, all that changed with one phone call in July, when I learned about her sudden passing. As shocking as it was to let that sad news sink in, I felt the urge to write the book about Aja anyway (only now as my tribute to her amazing life, as an inspiration to us all, instead of biography).
When I first interviewed Aja (back in 1995, for a Czech magazine), she told me that the most important thing she learned in life was “to never sit down, feeling sorry for herself”. Aja had many reasons to do so during her lifetime. She experienced many moments in the spotlight as well as dark times.
I truly miss her. It might sound like a cliche but she inspired me in so many ways. She never gave up on anything, no matter how hard it seemed. And I feel terrible about every phone call I didn't make for having something "more important" to do. She is no longer here to answer it.
If you're interested in Aja's life story, or want to follow bits of my book creation process, I would love to get to know you!
Ice Queen on Fire
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I'll be sharing more interesting stories with Aja, and document my writing progress, spilling beans about my interviews with Aja's famous friends, behind the scene footage and much more....
About
My name is Vera Czerny and I was honored to be counted among Aja's friends. I have created this website in her honor, to share her legacy and to introduce her life story to people who might have never heard of Aja Zanova before.
Aja was a very special human being. Not only she achieved unimaginable in the sport world - she was a 5x Czechoslovakian Champion, an European Champion and a 2x World Champion in figure skating, all achieved before her 18th birthday. She also was an incredible role model and a pleasure to be around.
Borned Alena Vrzáňová, everybody always called her Aja (Aa-yah). When she defected to United States of America, she shortened her last name to "Zanova". Because, let's face it - nobody could pronounce her last name in English. She continued ice skating career for 3 years as a professional in the Ice Follies, followed by another 15 years starring in the Ice Capades.
In May of 2015, while having a lunch at her residence in Miami, FL, we finally convinced her that her amazing life story deserves to be shared with an American public. Several years back, Aja had two best selling books published in her home country, Czech Republic, but there was nothing to introduce her to America. Despite the fact that after defecting communist's Czechoslovakia in 1950, she spent the rest of her life in her adopted country, The United States of America.
Our lunch together with Aja and my husband in Miami. Who could have imagined then it would be the last time we saw each other?