The Tribune

Author: Blue Orchid

Advertising Agency

IN a Nassau church 24 years ago, Charisma Taylor’s mother heard a sermon on charisma, which the pastor described as the “giftings of the spirit.”

The sermon struck a chord, and a few months later, out came a baby girl named after it. From day one, Charisma was graced with the name of a star, her mama’s winning smile, and a loving family. Only time would tell how this movie played out.

Flash forward to 2024: Charisma has embodied her birth name, proving her gifts of the spirit and dazzling onlookers as she qualified for the Paris Olympics in the triple jump.

Moreover, she may do it again as part of the 4 x 100m women’s relay team at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 May 4-5.

Charisma is a key player in a team of dynamos including Devynne Charlton, who also just qualified for the Olympics in hurdles.

“We are a fast group of women, and we’ve done a lot together to build camaraderie,” she says.

This will be her first World Relays, and she is very excited to be in her native country in front of a home crowd.

“I’m blessed to be able to call The Bahamas home. My family is also very important to me, so I look forward to seeing them when I’m there.”

The Countdown to Paris

The noun “charisma” denotes extraordinary personal power or charm. Like an Olympic gold medal, everybody wants charisma, and yet few people have what it takes to get it. But when you dig a little deeper into the power behind Charisma Taylor, you’ll find that her success comes not from her unique name, luck, or god’s grace, but instead a lot of grit and determination.

Charisma’s countdown to Paris began when she was just seven years old, her first foray into track and field. She grew up in Nassau with three brothers who would help fuel her competitive streak. The next 17 years would be a hamster wheel of rigorous training, sacrifices, and a commitment to continually improve her body and mind.

To this day, she maintains strict daily habits to make sure her body performs at its peak. “For diet, I make sure to get protein in like eggs or peanut butter. Greek yogurt and granola. For dinner, I’ll cook some rice and chicken. Also, I try not to go to bed too late as it disrupts my training sessions.”

However, there were some bleak days for Charisma when the end goal was foggy, and the biggest challenge in her running career so far has been the transition to professional athlete. “Running in college is much different than running as a professional,” she says. “In college, you have people looking out for you like massage therapists. In the professional world, you are on your own. You must pay for everything. It’s demanding. And it can be very disorientating if you’re injured.”

Charisma isn’t sponsored by a big brand yet, so racing at this elite level is a big sacrifice for her both personally and financially. She trains 4 to 5 hours per day every day except weekends, and while the Bahamian government helps her with rent, she still needs a part-time job to make ends meet.

One thing that helps her maintain work-life balance is her fluffy, 3-year-old mini poodle named Tommy Bahama. She also found a new hobby in fishing, which is popular near where she lives. “I can go out and fish for hours. It’s a great way to clear my mind and detach from everything else.”

Bring on the Light

This summer won’t be her first visit to the City of Light. Her favorite competition so far was in Paris this February for an indoor track meet. “What got me was the crowd – how supportive they were,” she said. “I was walking back to the hotel and everyone in the street came up to me congratulating and smiling.”

France offers Charisma far more than just a shot at Olympic glory. After competitive sports, Charisma sees a future for herself as a pastry chef. “I want to go to culinary school, hopefully in France because they have a fantastic culinary program and want to come back to the Bahamas to open my own bakery or many bakeries. I really want my dream to come true and I’m saving up my money!” She already runs a bakery side hustle called The Pastry Chateau, Instagram handle @thepastrychateau, on top of her Instagram account as an athlete that has almost 5,000 followers.

Charisma obtained her master’s in business administration from the University of Tennessee in May 2023, and prior to that, she received her bachelor’s in hospitality management from Washington State. Thanks to her athletic prowess, she received a full scholarship for both her undergrad and MBA. With two degrees, a can-do mentality and more than a little discipline, Charisma has plenty of options to find success in more traditional vocations. But she has put all that on hold to pursue her passion for sport and make her country proud.

Charisma moved to Tallahassee, Florida since July 2023 primarily to benefit from the wisdom of Coach Levan Sands, an Olympic medalist who coaches at Florida State. “He has been a role model for me since I was in high school, and everything has come full circle now. For him to coach me is a blessing,” she says.

Another one of her role models has been her teammate, Devynne Charlton. “I’ve seen her progress from high school to college and beyond. She overcame many challenges to become a world record holder, and yet, she’s so humble,” she says.

Charisma has now become a role model herself, showing that a bit of “charisma,” – or rather, her strong work ethic – will get you everywhere – a spot at the Olympics, multiple degrees, and an allure that people naturally want to follow.

Her advice to young up-and-coming Bahamian athletes chasing their Olympic dreams is to “Never get despondent. Don’t let current circumstances dictate thoughts about the future. We have seasons for a reason. The bad ones will come to an end. Keep pushing towards your goals and don’t let anything get in the way.”