In 1971, Zelníčková married Alfred Winklmayr, a ski instructor and her platonic friend, in order to obtain an Austrian passport.
The marriage to an Austrian granted her the freedom to leave Communist Czechoslovakia without defection so she could retain the right to return to visit her parents.
Ivana Winklmayr received her Austrian passport in March 1972.
The following year, she obtained an absentee divorce from Alfred Winklmayr in Los Angeles, California, where he had moved to teach skiing.

Zelníčková was romantically involved with the lyricist and playwright George (Jiři) Staidl who was killed in a car accident in 1973.
After Staidl’s death, Ivana moved to Canada where she lived with George (Jiři) Syrovatka whom she had dated since 1967; Syrovatka had defected to Canada in 1971 and owned a ski boutique in Montreal.


Ivana worked as a ski instructor while living in Canada.
 She lived in Montreal for two years where she continued to improve her English by taking night courses at McGill University and also worked as a model.
In 1975, Ivana told the Montreal Gazette that she considered modeling to be a job, rather than a career.
Her modeling clients included Eaton's department store and the designer Auckie Sanft, along with promotional work for the 1976 Summer Olympics that were being hosted in Montreal.
In 1971, Zelníčková married Alfred Winklmayr, a ski instructor and her platonic friend, in order to obtain an Austrian passport. The marriage to an Austrian granted her the freedom to leave Communist Czechoslovakia without defection so she could retain the right to return to visit her parents. Ivana Winklmayr received her Austrian passport in March 1972. The following year, she obtained an absentee divorce from Alfred Winklmayr in Los Angeles, California, where he had moved to teach skiing. 
Zelníčková was romantically involved with the lyricist and playwright George (Jiři) Staidl who was killed in a car accident in 1973. After Staidl’s death, Ivana moved to Canada where she lived with George (Jiři) Syrovatka whom she had dated since 1967; Syrovatka had defected to Canada in 1971 and owned a ski boutique in Montreal. 

Ivana worked as a ski instructor while living in Canada.  She lived in Montreal for two years where she continued to improve her English by taking night courses at McGill University and also worked as a model. In 1975, Ivana told the Montreal Gazette that she considered modeling to be a job, rather than a career. Her modeling clients included Eaton's department store and the designer Auckie Sanft, along with promotional work for the 1976 Summer Olympics that were being hosted in Montreal.
Ivana Trump