Olga Mercedes Álava Vargas (born 14 February 1988) is an Ecuadorian model, social, lifestyle entrepreneur, environmentalist and beauty queen.
[7] She lived in China for one year,[11] where she studied the Chinese language in Shanghai for seven months and helped her father in the import and quality control of their business.
[7][12] She participated in Charity Catwalk along with other beauty queens that raised $4,000 for families with AIDS to benefit the Fundación Nuestra Belleza.
She wore a crown created by Catalina Salcedo made in silver with rhinestones and has a flower design and pearl nacre valued at approximately $10,000.
[10] As part of her preparation in the Miss Earth 2011 pageant, Álava travelled to Bolivia in October 2011 to represent Ecuador in the twenty-first edition of the Reina Hispanoamericana.
[23] During the gala, she told the jury that "education is the best solution for the environment because children are the ones that preserve the earth for future generations", in response to the final question.
She will reign over the next twelve months, after winning the pageant that participated by 84 countries in which the delegates of Latin America accounted for three of the top four.
After the tribute, she stopped the traffic along the Malecon Simon Bolivar then aboard a Chevrolet Impala sixties, she was paraded at the main downtown streets.
City Mall in Guayaquil on 2 February 2012 which featured accessories, swimwear, and apparel from Aéropostale, Megamaxi, Traviesa, and Fuera de Serie.
[37] In the selection of the Queen of Santa Cruz Island in Galapagos, she served as a juror then traveled to Quito for a photo shoot.
She opened the swimwear parade with the collection of Ecuadorian brand "Country of the Sun", which is called "Sacred Ground Yasuní" and whose proceeds went to benefit the Yasuní-ITT Initiative.
[46] During the 2012 Earth Day celebration, Álava shared ecotips on how to recycle used paper sheets, use of energy-saving bulbs, natural light, and rechargeable batteries.
[47][48] Álava walked the ramp on 11 May as guest of honor at the Lisa Quirola Fashion Show then paid a social visit to celebrate Mother's Day at a local hospital in Ecuador.
[49] In addition to numerous trips around Ecuador, so far during her reign, Álava had traveled to the Philippines, China, France, United States, Taiwan, Guam, Qatar, Thailand, Réunion Island in Africa, India and Sri Lanka.
She traveled in Sri Lanka in 2013, where she visited the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, an orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants then she proceeded in the city of Kandy, the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka where she was hosted at the Chaaya Citadel Kandy.
[59] Álava was chosen in October 2013 as the newest talent by one of Ecuador's major TV network, Ecuavisa and became a host on the showbiz program "Gente" as a replacement of Maria Teresa Guerrero in the show.