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front row<br />
focus<br />
Paola Mayfield<br />
Interviewed and written by Emily Peters | Photo by Edward-Daniel Simons Jr.<br />
You can always<br />
change and get<br />
better, but you can’t<br />
please everyone.<br />
56 | <strong>July</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | www.<strong>Atlantic</strong><strong>Ave</strong><strong>Magazine</strong>.com<br />
It takes a massive amount<br />
of courage to have your life<br />
filmed, revealing private<br />
moments for the world to<br />
judge. Paola Mayfield accepted<br />
the challenge - gaining fame as<br />
one of the first individuals to<br />
appear on Season One of 90<br />
Day Fiancé, a documentarystyle<br />
show produced for TLC.<br />
The breakthrough reality television star gives us a glimpse<br />
into married life, how fitness allowed her a new daily<br />
perspective, and the greatest role she has taken on yet:<br />
Motherhood.<br />
Paola Mayfield rose to fame as audiences witnessed her relocate<br />
from Bogotá, Colombia to Oklahoma - where she would<br />
live with her fiancé, and decide within three months whether<br />
to marry him or return home. Doing her best to acclimate<br />
through serious culture shock, mixed with meeting potential<br />
in-laws for the first time, made for major ratings success. However,<br />
Paola’s road to celebrity status began many miles away<br />
from the “Sooner State.”<br />
“Growing up in Bucaramanga, Colombia is very difficult. There<br />
are not many opportunities, and you have to start working at a<br />
very young age - especially coming from a humble family like<br />
mine. I was signed with a modeling agency, and started walking<br />
in runway shows at sixteen years old. I wanted to do it, and was<br />
excited, but it was never something I had dreamed about... I just<br />
thought it could be a fun way to make money. While pursuing my<br />
career as a model, I moved to Bogotá for school, and that is where<br />
I met my husband. One day I was invited to a party, and noticed a<br />
cute guy standing in the corner. I was kind of learning English at<br />
the time, and thought maybe he could help me practice.”<br />
The rest is cinematic history, and Paola says she occasionally<br />
rewatches older episodes to reminisce.<br />
“I say whatever comes to my mind, and am very bold when<br />
speaking. I did that a lot in all the seasons, but it was a great experience<br />
that brings me wonderful memories. I like to look back<br />
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