Tafawah Thompson is not your average muscle bound man. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer TAFAWAH THOMPSON is not your average muscle bound man.
He had the brawn and the brains to capture the 2003 Mr. Jamaica Manhunt Competition ahead of 10 other finalists and will compete against contestants from 50 other countries for the coveted crown of Manhunt International on February 14 in China.
The 24-year-old Gemini says he enjoys "the finer things in life, and the more exciting things that life has to offer. I am very outgoing, spontaneous, athletic and enjoy good humour."
Football, Basketball, Tennis, Swimming, the gym and "all recreational activities" are what he says help him to maintain his 6'2', 206 lb well-toned body.
Tafawah leads a double life. He is both a model and an electronics technician. Tafawah was introduced to modelling by former Champs model and his current boss at GTech Foreign Holdings Corporation, Gavin Beckford.
CATWALKS
"He thought I'd do well at it," says Tafawah. But Tafawah has done a lot better than 'well'. The 2003 Manhunt Mr. Jamaica has strolled down catwalks both locally and overseas, often to a very rousing reception from the female audience. He has also garnered a lot of attention for his lead role in the Wray and Nephew Rum Cream commercial which is being aired on local TV.
He also placed second in the 2004 Mr. Caribbean International Calendar search and will be one of the hunks featured on that calendar in 2005.
With the attention of often overzealous and brazen female fans the budding local celebrity Tafawah seems remarkably focused, undaunted by the glare of the spotlight. "Weston Haughton told me that modelling is about acting. You try to fit the character of the clothing. Modelling is not about your body and how you look because what you're selling is the clothing," he says.
OUTSPOKEN AND INTELLIGENT
Outspoken and intelligent, Tafawah is anxious to dispel the stereotype of the male model. He denies that male models are generally conceited, or boastful, or are hungry for recognition. "I think I lead a rather low-keyed kinda life," he says. But of all the misconceptions about male models that Tafawah would really like to dispel is that male models are homosexuals. "Its absolutely not true", he says.
"We live in a very homophobic society which is understandable. I guess based on the whole thing of modelling the first thing a person would think of being a model is a female; or if not a female then you would have to have female traits in order to be a model, that's not true. The reality of the situation is just like us guys we go out to the beach and we notice women in their skimpy bikinis and stuff like that, those are the things that interest us. And we also have to be aware of the fact that there are women out there who would like to see good looking men showing their bodies and putting themselves together in a presentable way where its appreciated. But with respect to the homosexual thing its absolutely not true."
Champs Model Management, the licence holders for the local Manhunt competition, has sent representatives in the past four years of the ten year competition.
Debbie-Ann Stanley, CEO of Champs, is confident of Tafawa's chances of winning the crown. "I think he is going to do very well," she said. "He is highly intelligent and he has a good personality, he just seems to have the entire package, I have all confidence in him.
Kirk Headley, who placed fourth; Marlon Atkinson who was named the Goodwill Ambassador of the year; Russana Roberts and Kingsley Evering who placed sixth; were the previous Jamaican participants in the competition.
