The 40th Annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

This is a partial transcript from On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, February 20, 2004 that has been edited for clarity.

Watch On the Record every weeknight at 10 p.m. ET!

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: It's the hottest magazine on newsstands tonight, so hot that it will reach nearly 35 million men. It's the 40th annual "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue. The cover girl joins us in New York, Veronica Varekova.

Welcome, Veronica.

VERONICA VAREKOVA, "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED" SWIMSUIT EDITION COVER MODEL: Hi. Good evening. How are you, Greta?

VAN SUSTEREN: All right, Veronica. When did you get into modeling?

VAREKOVA Seven years ago.

VAN SUSTEREN: And when you got into modeling, did you ever think some day you'd be on the "Sports Illustrated" cover, the swimsuit...

VAREKOVA: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: ... the famous swimsuit...

VAREKOVA: Never.

VAN SUSTEREN: Never?

VAREKOVA: Never. Never crossed my mind.

VAN SUSTEREN: How did you get into modeling?

VAREKOVA: I was sitting in a restaurant, and somebody just, you know, talked to me and suggested that I could have tried modeling, so I did, and that's how I started.

VAN SUSTEREN: What were you doing at the time you started modeling before you got into modeling?

VAREKOVA: I was in school.

VAN SUSTEREN: Studying what?

VAREKOVA: I was doing psychology and education.

VAN SUSTEREN: Where are you from originally?

VAREKOVA: Czech Republic.

VAN SUSTEREN: So how old were you when you came to the United States?

VAREKOVA: I was 19, 19-1/2.

VAN SUSTEREN: Is modeling everything you thought it would be?

VAREKOVA: It's getting better and better. I think the beginnings are always difficult. But now it's actually -- I'm enjoying it. I'm enjoying myself.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you realize that you're beautiful?

VAREKOVA: I don't think about it that much, but -- no.

VAN SUSTEREN: You don't think of it at all?

VAREKOVA: Sometimes you want to look pretty when somebody's taking your pictures, obviously. You're more concerned about it. But when you walk down the street or when you're getting by in your regular life, not really, no.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you have to work at it, or is this natural? I mean do you have to work out to stay physically fit?

VAREKOVA: Natural. I don't work out. I hate the gym.

VAN SUSTEREN: You don't like it at all?

VAREKOVA: No, not at all. I play tennis here and there. That's pretty much all I do.

VAN SUSTEREN: So what do -- what's the -- what's the "Sports Illustrated" cover going to do for you? Where do you take your career from here?

VAREKOVA: I don't know. I don't know. I'm excited to see. I mean, you know, I've seen what had happened -- what happened to other people, what affect it had on their career. So let's see. Let's see.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you have any idea of the number -- I mean I read the number of men, but I've done a little research that this circulation rate base is four-and-a-half million, which is about -- ordinarily, it's only about a little over three million for "Sports Illustrated," and they expect 59 million readers. Fifty-nine million people look at this.

VAREKOVA: It's insane.

VAN SUSTEREN: What does that mean to you?

VAREKOVA: It's insane. It's -- it doesn't sound real. But I guess it is. I'm very excited about it. You know, my boyfriend is probably thinking differently because all these men are going to see the magazine. But I'm -- I'm happy. I think it's beautiful issue. I think the cover came out beautifully. And I'm just excited.

VAN SUSTEREN: Is it hard to pose in a swimsuit?

VAREKOVA: Is it what?

VAN SUSTEREN: Hard to pose in a swimsuit?

VAREKOVA: How difficult it is or how...

VAN SUSTEREN: Yes.

VAREKOVA: It was difficult in the beginning. The first year I did "Sports Illustrated," I was very shy. I'm -- I still get shy, but you can tell I'm a little bit more comfortable.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. You mentioned your boyfriend. It's a little bit more than that. It's a fiancee, isn't it?

VAREKOVA: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. Well, tell us who your fiancee is?

VAREKOVA: His name is Petr Nedved. He plays for the rangers in New York. Hockey.

VAN SUSTEREN: And when are you getting married?

VAREKOVA: We're planning beginning of July now. July.

VAN SUSTEREN: And where are you getting married?

VAREKOVA: In Prague.

VAN SUSTEREN: Why did you choose Prague?

VAREKOVA: We're both from Czech Republic so it makes more sense. You know, our family is there, and whoever wants to fly from our friends from New York, they're more than welcome, but we want to do it there.

VAN SUSTEREN: I read a quote from you when someone asked you what are you going to be doing in about 10 years, and you said, "It's not going to be Hollywood for me, darling." What does that mean? Does that mean that this is going to end soon for you, this whole celebrity?

VAREKOVA: Well, modeling is one thing. You can somehow control it, and I enjoy modeling. But acting to me never occurred as something that I would like to pursue. So no. No Hollywood for me.

VAN SUSTEREN: So your -- so what's your dream profession after this?

VAREKOVA: I'd like to go back to school, study art, history of art, and then eventually have the family.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right, Veronika. Well, good luck...

VAREKOVA: Thank you very much.

VAN SUSTEREN: ... getting married. Congratulations.

VAREKOVA: Thank you.

VAN SUSTEREN: And congratulations on getting the cover.

VAREKOVA: Thanks a lot.

Content and Programming Copyright 2004 Fox News Network, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2004 eMediaMillWorks, Inc. (f/k/a Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon Fox News Network, Inc.'s and eMediaMillWorks, Inc.'s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.