Mr World Ja Tarique Barrett hoping to make a big impact in Vietnam
TARIQUE BARRETT’S journey to becoming Mr World Jamaica 2024 has been paved by his dual passions: fitness and finance.
Born and raised in Mountain View, St Andrew, Barrett said his love for fitness became inextricably linked to his love for his community when said community became his gym.
“I’m all about fitness but I don’t use a gym. I just use my community as a gym, anything that I interact with, I use it as a gym, so if I’m down the road doing something and I can put in a few push-ups, I will do that. When I left high school, that [was] the last time [I] went to a gym. You know coming from an unfortunate background, one where I don’t have the means to afford a gym membership, that really forced me to use anything that I could put my hands on.”
In his early years, Barrett discovered his love for football which he later played at Dunoon Technical High School before transferring to Jamaica College to play on the football team there.
If you ask Barrett though, he will tell you his life has been a serendipitous series of events all working in his favour.
“It all started from Mountain View Primary and the influence my mom had on me,” he began.
“My mother sells at Mountain View Primary, she is [a] vendor there. Watching her selling at Mountain View Primary actually motivated me to pursue my education in business.”
Now Barrett is a student at The University of the West Indies, Mona, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing and accounts. On the way to realising his dreams, He wants to impart the skills and knowledge he has acquired thus far through his Future Entrepreneurs initiative.
He explained, “This is all about equipping the inner [city] youths with the right financial tools to know how to make better financial decisions to escape this brutal cycle of poverty.”
While Barrett has always wanted to impact his community in some way, because of his naturally reserved disposition he was doubtful he would ever get the chance, until he stumbled upon the Mr World Jamaica pageant.
“Pageantry has changed a lot about me, especially when it comes to public speaking and putting myself out there,” he explained.
Looking back on his coronation night he said, “A lot was going through my mind. Knowing that the sacrifice and effort that I put in to work on my confidence and how to speak, working on how to walk and all of that. And knowing that I also made a sacrifice in terms of leaving my job. I had to make a decision because they couldn’t facilitate this journey. But I knew that there is something in this for me so I had [to] take this opportunity. So at the time when I heard my name, actually before when I heard the announcer say pack your bags, you’re going to Vietnam, I was hoping that it was me, even though I knew that Tavar was a hot pick. Being in that position and anticipating my name to be called, when I finally heard it, all those feelings came. So it was just a [feeling] of relief.”
Barrett says this win is not just for him but a gift to his community.
“I get a great feeling knowing that the youth in the community look up to me, knowing that I’m the one that is a representation of success.”
In the meantime, Barrett says he has his sights set on the international Mr World pageant to be held in Vietnam.
“I am going for the international title, making history actually as the first Jamaican in over 25 years to represent. I am definitely aiming to bring home this title and I know I will do my best and represent our little nation with big impact.”