WESTERN BUREAU:

The British-born son of two Jamaicans continues to fly the flag high and remains an outstanding role model in the black community in England a year after attaining the highest educational standards. During a recent visit home, he shared his remarkable story with Flair.

Shaun Wallace is an established defence barrister-at-law made himself, relatives, friends and the black community proud when, for the first time in the 32-year history of the BBC's TV quiz competition - The Master Mind, a black person entered and won.

Not only did he make history by winning, but he was and still remains the only black person to have entered the competition. Master Mind is rated as Britain's most prolific TV quiz show, testing entrants on specialist subject areas and general knowledge. It is also aired in the United States of America and other parts of the world. He held the title between 2004 and 2005.

"I have always had an interest and passion for general knowledge quiz because while attending primary school, that was one way teachers encouraged us as a way of learning. I often wondered whether I was good enough to answer the questions. It's one thing answering them at home, but I wondered if I had the ability to do so in front of millions of people."

Strategy

His strategy to overcome this fear was to use the advantage of being a barrister, arguing in front of an audience and the toughest of judges in court daily. "If I didn't find that daunting, then I shouldn't find the quiz contest otherwise," he said in reflection.

Once he was selected for the show there was no looking back. He passed through the preliminary and semi-final rounds with flying colours, but he kept it a secret for six months from everyone until the finals were aired and millions watched him whip all his white counterparts. That was when the black community catapulted into hysteria.

"I wanted to have minimum pressure, so I thought not telling anyone was the way to make this a reality," he told Flair.

EXCEPTIONAL IQ

To be eligible for entry in the Master Mind competition, one's intelligence quotient (IQ) has to exceptional, and since winning Shaun is now often described as theepitome of Britain's brain.When Shaun won the Master Mind contest in 2004, there was pandemonium and euphoria throughout all of Britain and the entire black community, because he proved that black people's intelligence far exceeded what cynics thought.

His winning earned him the coveted widespread coverage on the front pages in all the United Kingdom's newspapers and tabloids, back-to-back radio and television interviews. So intense and demanding was the pressure on him to fulfil interviews by the press and other organisations that he could not handle the publicity and scampered to chill out in sunny Jamaica.

From time to time, Shaun has travelled to his parents' country of origin to vacation and for this Christmas holiday season, he has made it Jamaica again - vacationing at Dunn's Villa in Rose Hall, Montego Bay.

MORE WINS

To date, he has a record eight wins from 12 quiz competitions, a feat that no other black person has ever attained as far as history recalls. Other TV quiz shows he has participated in include Jerry Springer's Greed, which earned him a whopping £50,000 in 2001; The Weakest Link, hosted by the 'Queen of Mean' Anne Robinson; 15 to 1; Nobody Likes a Smart Ass; The Waiting Game; Brain Teaser and 52.

But in spite of his impressive achievements, the barrister remains humble, very down-to-earth and devotes his time for the development and betterment of mankind.

He is an ambassador for Dr. Barnados, an internationally renowned children's charity, as well as an ambassador for the Anti-Slavery Trust, a U.K.-based charity, which highlights human trafficking worldwide and takes stringent steps to prevent it and to bring the situation to the world's attention.

JAMAICAN ROOTS

In 1956, his father, Linford, born in Clarendon left for Birmingham, England. Two years later he met Millicent, who had migrated from Runaway Bay, St. Ann to London. They were married and produced three children including. He was born on June 2, 1960 in Harlsden, London. He maintains that he is from a relatively modest background with a happy childhood. He attended the Oakington Manor Basic School in Wembley between 1965 and 1971.

"That era was one of the best of my life and I still maintain friendship with those people. I think it is very important to maintain your bed-rock friendship no matter what you achieve in life," Shaun says.

Copland High School was where he went next and it was while there at age 11 he decided that he wanted to become a lawyer having been influenced by TV programmes such as Crown Court, Petra Chilly and Perry Mason.

"I was impressed by the fact that they used their talent to help people. I was a very talkative and loud child," he says. Determined to follow his dreams, the 11-year-old boy wrote his first letter to the Inns of Court in London, making enquiries about the criteria of becoming a barrister.

Upon receiving a response, Shaun was now focused on his goal. He then went to the London Metropolitan University where he gained a law degree and subsequently became a criminal barrister.

AVERAGE STUDENT

"I was a relatively average student but I knew I could achieve anything I setmy mind to and I have always had the right support, especially from my mom,dad and my eldest sister who bought me my first law book. I knew I had to be disciplined and work hard. Knowledge is not thrown upon anyone, you have to acquire it and you can only do so by having a passion for learning - knowing when to balance play with study."

A defence criminal barrister and part-time lecturer for 23 years, Shaun says he chose to specialise in criminal law because of the love for that area of law. He has won his last five cases and even though he is on vacation, he is preparing for a trial as soon as he returns to the UK.

He believes as a defence lawyer it is imperative that utmost preparation and dedication is given priority, irrespective of however minor or serious the case might be. ÒIt is important to put the clients interest first because they are putting their trust in you to use the best legal principles to get the best results," he explains.

Admitting that he has not won all his cases, he says, however, that his win ratio is very encouraging. One role model who has influenced Shaun was George Carmen, a defence criminal barrister.

"I've always thought that if I was half as good as him, then I would become the most successful lawyer. The only difference between usis that when I qualified as a barrister, he had the experience I never had but I have since gained that."

CHALLENGES

The successful barrister has had his share of challenges in the legal profession, but he has always set realistic targets in order to achieve. "All the obstacles I have faced I have conquered them with the right dedication and preparation. Even Mount Everest has been conquered so that tells me no matter what challenges lie ahead, preparation will always be the key."

Shaun recalls his first three years practising as a barrister when he was given an assignment to defend a client in Manchester. He was very nervous, but because he had prepared himself well, he won the case.

"It was a vindication of my preparation," he said. "At my first crown court case, a year later, the judge knew I was nervous, but he told me that my closing argument was excellent and no matter how hard it was I had what it took."

POLITICS

Mr. Wallace has also dabbled in politics, having entered as an independent candidate in the 2005 British General Elections. He was influenced to do so on an invitation by his then MP for him to visit the House of Commons, as a result of his winning the Master Mind Quiz Competition.

With just three weeks before the elections, Shaun mustered up a campaign, but lost at the polls. Crossing his legs, he threw himself backwards on the bed inside Dr. Eustace and Sandra Molyneaux's residence in Unity Hall, Montego Bay. He laughed. "Although I lost my deposit and I came fifth it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience," he jibed. But had he won, what difference would he have made to Britain's political landscape or policies? "I had a particular axe to grind, which was tackling tuition fees. I had the benefit of free education in England, so I had an issue with the Government. I thought it was very hypocritical for modern-day politicians to have benefited from free education and then want to imposecharges on students today."

"This will only make Britain less competitive and less of an incentive for students to go into higher education because of the financial debts they will be saddled with long after graduating. It is going to be a disincentive."

GUN PROBLEM

The rising problem of gun crime in North West London was another issue Shaun had planned to tackle. The Borough of South Brent figures prominently with a high concentration of black and ethnic minority and a high rate of guncrimes.

"I thought that if I could use the celebrity status I had to appeal to the younger generation at that time to pick up the book and not the gun, it would have made a great impact on society," he said. So, would he give politics another try? "No. I prefer to work as a lawyer," he says.

Shaun returns to the U.K. later this week.