Figure skater and businesswoman Ája Vrzáňová-Steindler was born in Prague. She studied ballet, music and languages. She began figure skating at a very young age under trainer Karel Grogar, and won her first competition at age 7. At her debut at the European Championships in 1947 in Davos, Switzerland, she finished in fifth place. She held the titles of Czechoslovak figure skating champion from 1947 to 1950, European champion in 1950, and two-time world champion in 1949 and 1950. In 1950, while living and training in Great Britain, she applied for political asylum. She ended up settling in the United States, where she worked from 1950 to 1967 as a professional skater in Ice Follies and Ice Capades under the stage name Aja Zanova, and later as public relations manager for Ice Capades. She married an American of Czech origin, Pavel Steindler, and together they ran a business in gastronomic and restaurant services. From 1969 to 1979, she was the owner and manager of the restaurant Duck Joint in New York. Since 1950, Ms Vrzáňová had been an active participant in the social and cultural life of the Czech community in the United States. The cream of the Czech cultural émigrés would meet in the Czech restaurants she ran with her husband. She had been active for many years in sports and expatriate organisations; she promoted Czech sports and spread the good name of the Czech Republic in the United States and around the world. As a member of the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association in New York, she actively took part in its activities. She returned to Czechoslovakia in 1990 after a long absence, and afterwards divided her time between Prague and New York. Since 2007, Ms Vrzáňová had been the chairwoman of the International Coordination Committee for Czechs Abroad, which organised meetings, conferences and exhibitions for expatriate Czechs, countrymen and exiles from all over the world.

Ms Vrzáňová was also the vice-chairman of the Association of Free Czechoslovak Sportsmen in New York. She frequently acted as patron of sporting and other events, the proceeds of which went to support charitable causes or for the support of young, talented figure skaters in the Czech Republic. She was a well-recognised figure with very good contacts and wide ranging activities. In 2004, Václav Klaus awarded her the Medal of Merit in Sports. In 2003, she was honoured with the title Prominent Czech Woman in the World, which is granted in cooperation with the Czech Senate´s Standing Committee for Czechs abroad and other organisations. She was an honorary citizen of Prague 2 – Vinohrady (2005), and in 2006 was mentioned in the Lady Pro survey, which is conducted by Comenius (the Pan-European Society for Culture, Education, Scientific and Technical Cooperation). She received the Sports Legend/Emil Zátopek Award in Prague in 2009, and in Los Angeles she was the first Czech figure skater to be inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.In 2012 she received the Gratias Agit Award.