For Taylor, a bit of Charisma will get you everywhere

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, a baby girl was 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: Taylor has embodied her birth name, proving her gifts of the spirit and dazzling onlookers as she qualified for the Paris Olympics in the hurdles. Moreover, she may do it again as part of the Bahamian 4x100m team at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 on 4-5 May. Taylor is a key player in a team of dynamos including Devynne Charlton, who is another Olympic Games hurdles contender.

“We are a fast group of women, and we’ve done a lot together to build camaraderie,” says Taylor, who not only finished sixth in the 60m hurdles final at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March, but also finished sixth in the triple jump final on the same day.

This will be her first World Athletics 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,” she adds. “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. 

Taylor’s countdown to Paris began when she was just seven years old and she had 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,” she says. “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 Taylor when the end goal was foggy, and the biggest challenge in her running career so far has been the transition to becoming a professional athlete. “Running in college is different to 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.”

Taylor 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 four to five 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 some work-life balance is her fluffy three-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 in February for an indoor track meeting. “What got me was the crowd – how supportive they were,” she says. “I was walking back to the hotel and everyone in the street came up to me congratulating and smiling.”

France offers Taylor far more than just a shot at Olympic glory. After competitive sports, she 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 programme and I want to come back to The Bahamas to open my own bakery or many bakeries,” she says. “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. For that, she has an Instagram account of @thepastrychateau, on top of her account as an athlete that has almost 5000 followers. 

Taylor 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, Taylor 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. 

Taylor moved to Tallahassee in Florida in July 2023, primarily to benefit from the wisdom of coach Leevan Sands, an Olympic medallist 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,” she says. “For him to coach me is a blessing.”

Another one of her role models has been her teammate, 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.

Taylor 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,” she says. “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.”