Within weeks, Camila Avella, this year’s Miss Colombia, will make history. She is the first Miss Universe contestant to have a husband and child. The beauty pageant, which is taking place this November 18, will be hosted in El Salvador and is an occasion that people from all over the world are looking forward to. 28-year-old Avella discusses the surreal feeling of learning that the beauty pageant was modfying its rules, making the contest more inclusive for women of different ages and life experiences.
Following a thwarted effort in 2018, Camila is back five years later, representing her country. In the meantime, she’s gotten married and developed a family of her own. These two factors have made her feel stronger and ready to take on the competition, showing that anything is possible and that the sky is the limit. In an exlusive interview with HOLA! Camila shared her feelings as the contest draws closer. She discussed her desire to represent her country and to break rules.
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We’re a few weeks away from the Miss Universe. How do you feel? How are your nerves?
I feel very excited because I finally achieved my childhood dream to qualify to the Miss Universe pageant. My Miss Universe Colombia band has a lot of weight. It’s a big responsibility but I plan on enjoying it and giving it my all. I’m very excited to get to know El Salvador and to spend some time with my fellow contestants.
Where does your passion for beauty come from? I saw on your social media that you’ve been involved in the industry since you were a young girl.
My passion started because my department, Casanare, never sent many women to Miss Colombia to participate. I wanted to be the first girl to do it. Nowadays that dream came true, I became the first contestant from Casanare to get the crown. One of my biggest wishes was for my people in Colombia to find Casanare on the map. I feel proud that I was born and raised there. I’m a woman that always feels that attachment to her land, to her culture, to her race, to show what we’re made of.
In 2018, you tried participating on the contest but you weren’t able to. Now you’re doing it for real. What do you feel regarding the shift in Miss Universe rules that allows married women and mothers to participate?
In 2018, I had understood that my opportunity was over. One receives a lot of ‘no’s over the course of their lives and you can’t stay stuck in them, you have to move on. When I made the decision to get married and have a child, I was surprised by the news of the Miss Universe. I never thought it would happen.
I think what Miss Universe is doing is very important, because they’re showing the inclusion that they’ve been discussing over past years. One role is not going to define us and we’re finally breaking down those stereotypes that have held us back for so long. In the end, that Miss Universe decision motivated me to try again.
How has your husband supported you in achieving your dreams ?
When my husband and I got married, we knew that we we’re going to support each other’s goals and dreams, because that’s what marriage is about. It’s about teamwork. When my daughter was born, our priority became her and we understood that as parents we had the responsibility of showing her that she will never limit our achievements. It’s been the opposite; she’s pushed us to achieve out goals. I’ve received incredible support from my family and from Colombia.
Women are so much more than people try to make us. It’s very frustrating that that’s still a reality in my country and in Latin America.
How do you manage negative comments and criticism, especially those that are rooted in misogyny. I’m sure there’s been plenty of unfortunate comments...
The saddest part is that that still exists. Women don’t practice that sorority that should exist, that mutual support and that beliefe of “if she can do it, so can I.” While in the pageant, I’ve learned that every contestant has a different story, and I admire them all. It’s also important to pay attention to your mental health.
If you’re not okay, you’re not gonna be a positive influence for your family, for your country, for anything. You are the reflection of what’s going on inside of you. As a priority, before being a wife, a mom, or a queen, I’ve worked in my mental health and put the necessary effort it requires. As I’ve prepared myself for the contest, I’ve focused a lot on developing my emotional intelligence, on talking to young people, and how important it is for them to take care of their mental health.
Your daughter Amelia will realize in a few years that her mother represented her country, broke down barriers, and was a part of Miss Universe. What do you want to inspire in her?
What I want with my daughter is to always be the best mother I can be for her, the best wife I can be for my husband, and above everything else, the best woman I can be. It doesn’t matter if everything is perfect if I’m not practicing those skills at home. I think my daughter has realized that the quality time we spend together, and that I spend with my family and my work is a good thing. That’s something that I’ve always wanted to inspire in her and that I know in a few years, when she sees my interviews, she’ll be like ‘Wow, it’s so nice to see my mom achieving her goals, that she never considered me to be a limitation.’
That’s also a goal I’ve always had as Miss Colombia and a Miss Universe contestant. I want women to teach their children that they’re not a limitation, that a child is the most beautiful thing that exists. Of course, everyone’s life experience is different but once we understand that the love that our kids give us is so beautiful, I think our thoughts will change.
You’re a working mom. How do you handle being away from your daughter? What’s your dynamic?
This is nothing new for my daughter. I’m a professional model and a journalist, social communicator. Since she was born, I’ve always been working. I’ve always kept in mind that I wanted to return to my projects without missing out on my daughter’s childhood. My daughter is always my priority but it’s also important to take care of myself. I think that’s a topic I want to discuss: motherhood is often romanticized, and then we feel bad because we want to go back to work.
I discussed those topics with my psychologist and she told me, ‘You’ll always be Camila. Before Amelia, there was you and now, after Amelia, it’s still you. Find a way to discover that balance in your personal, professional and family life,’ and that’s what I’ve done. I’ve discovered that it’s possible, that women can have those skills, we can multitask by nature, we can do several things at once.
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