Shawne Fielding: life is a roller coaster.

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American actress, model and socialite Shawne Fielding has been riding a figurative roller coaster for years, especially with her complicated and high profile divorce from former Swiss diplomat Thomas Borer. But behind the ups and downs of scandal is a true Texan woman, with an interesting story to tell of success and charity work.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Shawne Fielding is still a typical Texan in many ways. She likes guns and country music, often votes Republican, and speaks with a charming Texan accent. In more than one sense, however, Fielding is an ocean apart from her native land. The daughter of a schoolteacher and a former Captain in the U.S. Navy, Fielding spent much of her childhood in quiet Lubbock, dreaming of one day making it big in the wider world. Throughout her life, connections to the political arena in Washington, D.C., exposed her to a world of fame, success and wealth.

Fielding recalls how she met the Bush family as a young girl and following her father's support of George W. Bush's 1978 campaign for Congress--how her family was invited to George H. W. Bush's swearing in as President at his 1989 inauguration ceremony. Fielding later became acquainted with the infamous former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who she found inspiring. She also got to know--and admire--former Soviet-leader Mikhail Gorbachev. "It's always interesting to be sitting with a man who brought Glasnost to Russia and tore down that wall with Reagan," she says.

Destined for stardom

The budding star began attracting attention at the age of 22, when she was crowned Miss Dallas. Three years later and already married to her first husband, a wealthy Texan heir, the beauty queen became Mrs. Texas and was second runner-up to be Mrs. America. It was then that doors started opening. Fielding was casted for the American TV show, Walker, Texas Ranger, where she worked alongside superstar Chuck Norris. "[Chuck] is a nice guy; a really nice guy. He's a great actor-super professional," she remembers fondly. The movie industry followed and Fielding appeared in It's in the Water(1997) and in Dr T and the Women (2000). Before long, she was a household name on both sides of the Atlantic.

By her 30s, Fielding had already accrued millions of dollars in savings. Soon, everyone wanted a piece of the beautiful blonde with her wide American smile and she was a popular guest on talk shows like The Oprah Show and Wetten, dass ...? Today, at the age of 42, Fielding still enjoys the spotlight--"I'm used to it," she says. She sees it as an opportunity to raise awareness for the causes that matter to her.

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However, in recent years, the media has largely overlooked Fielding's successes, choosing instead to focus on her private life--or, to be exact, the story of Fielding's second marriage and the couple's subsequent separation.

Family drama

The beginning of the story could be compared to a fairytale: he was a well-educated Swiss lawyer, serving in the US on behalf of Switzerland's foreign office. She was a young woman with a sizeable fortune and a promising career. Thomas Borer and Fielding quickly fell for one another; in 1996, Fielding packed her belongings to join Borer in Berne, where he would go on to lead an important government task force examining the practices of Swiss banks during the Second World War. Three years later, the couple tied the knot. As Borer was appointed Swiss Ambassador to Germany, the newlyweds headed for Berlin.

In 2002, the fairytale ended when damaging rumours began circulating in the Swiss and German press following unfounded allegations made against Borer. In the end, the papers that had run the later-disproved story were forced to apologise to Borer and pay compensation--but the damage had already been done. Eventually, and despite the couple now being parents to two children, Roman and Ruby, they separated. In 2008, a divorce attorney became involved. The following year, Borer was awarded Obhut--which roughly translates as 'temporary daily care'--of the house and children. But Fielding sees them often, spending a lot of time at their school. "The most important thing in my life, obviously, is my children. My whole week really revolves around when I can see [them]," says Fielding. She says she hopes to negotiate joint custody, when the divorce is finalised following the mandatory two-year separation.

The actress feels confident that she can provide an environment where her children are healthy and happy. "I'm not a drug, addict; I'm not an alcoholic; I've never committed a crime," she says. "I'm really a great mother." She also has a new, supportive partner in her life. "Jim makes me, me--just better," she says. And it would seem that the kids love him, too. "He's fantastic with [them], and he always makes it a big priority to be around when they're around." 'Daddy James', as Roman and Ruby call him, is professional golfer James Johnson from England, and he and Fielding have been going out for two years.

Charity work

Behind the media hype, Fielding is a woman with a passion for helping others. Her charitable projects vary widely: from AIDS to orphans, and education. Right now, she is the president of Kids With A Cause Europe, a Switzerland-based children's charity that focuses on introducing young people to the concept of philanthropy. Fielding also works with UNICEF and is an ambassador for SOS-Kinderdorfer, a charity that supports orphans. Earlier this year, she went to Morocco to help supply a village with water. Before that, she was in India and Egypt. "My work with children was just a no-brainer," she says. Seeing the kids smile is the part she likes best.

However, there are plenty of other matters close to her heart. Her interest in fighting AIDS, for example, was inspired by a relative who has been HIV positive for over 20 years. Fielding now serves as an ambassador for a Zurich-based charity called Aids-Hilfe Schweiz. "Anything I can do that raises attention of and interest in my charities always makes me the happiest," she says. "I enjoy giving back to the community I live in. You get as much as you give. It's rewarding and makes me feel part of the community." She recommends charitable work to everybody: "Charity starts at home," she adds. "You can volunteer at your local old folks' home; you can help out within your own community, and stuff like that."

Close to the top of her agenda for the future is doing more charitable work. When her legal case is finally over, she says she would like to start a foundation to provide assistance to men and women without the financial resources to battle family court rulings.

At home in Switzerland

Fielding lives on the shores of Lake Zurich, in Bach a "charming community" filled with "fantastic people," she says. She is now a Swiss citizen, and received her Swiss passport over a decade ago while she was in Germany with Borer. "I feel it's really a privilege to be able to live here, and I'm very proud to be a Swiss citizen as well as an American," she says. Although people on the street often recognise Fielding while she's out and about, they don't usually stare. It helps her to feel like any other Swiss person, right at home where she belongs. And she likes it that way.

The Texan plans to spend the rest of her life in Switzerland. "It's a great place to live and raise your kids," she says and cites safety and the culture as examples of why the nation means so much to her. 'I mean, the quality of life here is just astounding," she adds, noting the cleanliness of the country, the friendliness of the people, and the consistently favourable rankings of Swiss cities at or near the top of various quality-of-life indices.

It also helps that she is well integrated. The majority of her best friends are Swiss and she is actively involved in her adopted homeland with her charity work, but also in other ways. "I vote with every election that comes up," she says proudly. "As far as my personal beliefs, I guess if I were in a party I would probably De more SVP than anything else." In spring. Fielding voted on the popular initiative for tougher firearms controls.

Shooting star 

Her attitude to firearms reveals a typically Texan side to her character keep a weapon for protection, because I'm from Texas," she giggles. She has a Clock and "quite a collection of many different rifles," going all the way back to her grandfather. Last year, she learnt how to shoot a handgun properly--and she is a really good shot, too. In a video posted recently on her bog, she shoots down a row of targets with a pistol from quite a distance.

The 42-year-olc likes to learn something new every year. The year before learning to shoot, it was sailing. "I like to challenge myself with activities like that," she says. This year's task is a little less exciting--mastering all the 'der, die, das' German articles--but important nonetheless. Although she already speaks it well, Fielding studies German at an advanced level for three hours every day. "That is my market." she says of the German-speaking countries where she now does much of her work. In 2010, she played a role in the German-language film Liebling, lass uns scheiden! (Darling, let's get divorced!). Plus, she loves Germany "Berlin and I go together like chocolate and peanut butter," she laughs. Fielding also knows a little Spanish and French And her Swiss German is quite good. too. Beyond target shooting and languages, Fielding has a range of other personal interests, from travelling to entertaining, reading. gardening and sports. "I love everything to do with being outside." she says. Every day she spends time raising some ducks that live on her property. A video features Fielding chasing the little feathered family around the house trying to get them outside. Lucy, the mother duck, refuses to cooperate until she can round up all of her chicks.

Another passion is music. Her favourite genres are country, pop and classical--"in that order," she exclaims without hesitation. Some of the artists she enjoys are old country legends like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson. Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr. She likes Bach and Beethoven, too. And she went to a Lady Gaga concert in Zurich not long ago.

Watch this space

Fielding keeps a journal filled with stories and entries about things that happen during her day. Recently, she also began writing her account of her second marriage. 'I have never printed any of these things, so I've got quite a few gems to pull out of my filing cabinet," she says. In the not-too-distant future, she will publish a book of her story. "Everything will be in the book," she explains. "For me it's important to have my story out there.' A first book--which may come out as soon as this year will cover her recollections of the family struggles she's been through in recent years. The full autobiography will be released later.

Some little known facts about Shawne Fielding

Fielding has a degree in advertising with a minor in psychology from Southern Methodist University 

Fielding has been married twice. Her first marriage was to wealthy Texas heir Charles Williams when she was 25

Some of Fielding's wardrobe is exhibited at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich and the German Historical Museum in Berlin

Fielding received a personal happy birthday letter from then-U.S. President Bill Clinton