Unoma Allen: Doesn’t think she is, she knows she is!
Written by Mosi Mandisa,
Children should be seen and not heard; a woman’s place is in the kitchen; and men will be men. Furthermore, teachers should dress frumpily and wear sensible shoes; not six inch heels. They should also be predictable and unsurprising. Moreover, teachers are perceived as a killjoy, a grinch and a spoilsport.
When Cyndi Lauper sang, “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”, as human beings, we seem to have an exception list for people who should not have fun. Some of us have lumped female teachers, whether present or former, in the exception category. We all have our perception of what teachers should look like and how they should act. Frankly, they are not supposed to be in the spotlight.
Somewhere along her journey, Unoma Allen, former Economics Lecturer at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), has surely shattered that mould.
“Who does she think she is? She has some nerve!” many individuals grumble. Apparently Unoma not only has the nerve, but the curves too! That is one of the reasons she decided to enter Miss Black San’ Swimsuit Pageant which is scheduled to be held on Sunday 20th April 2014. The other contestants are: Nakilah Watson, Cherrissa Maynard out of Nevis, Desiree Herbert, Royisha Demming and Nicola Clarke. There will be five segments including vintage, creative wear and body paint. The much anticipated swimsuit competition is one of the activities of the Sandy Point Black San Bang-a-Lang Festival.
Whilst some individuals find it unbelievable that Miss Allen, who has lectured for five years, has entered the competition, other citizens who have known her prior to her teaching career, are even more perplexed.
Miss Allen was also the Corporate Communications Manager at the St. Kitts Tourism Authority for three years. She is a mature professional, so what is she thinking? Who does Miss Allen think she is? Miss Allen doesn’t think she is; she knows who she is. She is not on an ego trip nor is she having any identity issues.
Her journey to become a swimsuit competitor did not begin this year, when she sent in her forms to the Black San Committee to become a contestant. It began before the age of ten years.
“Between the ages of 6-10 years, I knew how I wanted to feel when I became a successful adult. I didn’t know how I would become a success but I knew how I wanted to feel,” Unoma candidly revealed. Unoma’s family in Jamaica are athletes and as a child she would listen to her aunts and uncles talk about their prowess on the track, how they broke records and their health regime and diet. Growing up, she too wanted to share some of those memories but she wasn’t a natural athlete like her family. Nonetheless, she was always interested in body building and fitness and would watch body building competitions and sporting events on ESPN.
As an adult, Unoma has achieved academic success and she has the Masters to prove it. However, though she can reflect on the steps she took to academia, the feeling of success was partially absent. Yes, she appreciates her accomplishments…but there was no feeling of constant elation. She pursued the things society labels as successful. However, the more she tried new things society offered, the more stagnant she felt. After three years of trying to attain this ‘feeling’ she gave up in frustration.
She started questioning her purpose on earth and began to search for answers. She eventually started reading her bible and began with the New Testament. When she first started reading Matthew she did not get an epiphany and wondered if she was “missing” something. She diligently continued reading after she realised that perhaps her enlightened moment would not come overnight. It was in Matthew Chapter 6 when she got her revelation.
“My view on life started to change. I was no longer looking for worldly accomplishments but a spiritual achievement. I started appreciating life and realised that my existence is a gift. Slowly my clogged up feeling, untangled and I stopped feeling restricted. After reading the New Testament, my heart felt lighter. It’s like the closer I became with God, the more I felt he was urging me to pursue what was inside my heart.” Unoma explained that after forming a closer bond with God, her situation began change.
“God brought me to situations to build up my human traits that I always had. It is not so much about the swimsuit competition. It’s about stepping out of my comfort zone, like being born again.”
Miss Allen’s words are a bit profound but on deeper insight, there are other reasons for entering the competition. One reason is to pursue her dream she had as a child to have a physique like her athletic relatives. There is also a health reason.
Unoma underwent surgery where she had to recuperate for 6 weeks. The surgery had nothing to do with losing weight, but during her time of recovery, it made her come to terms with the direction she wanted to steer her life. She had a myomectomy which is the surgical removal of fibroids from the uterus. It allows the uterus to be left in place.
She was always an avid gym member since the age of 19 but she decided to get more serious about her health regime after her surgery.
As a result, she began searching for a personal trainer during her weeks of recovery. She called a few persons but they informed her to call back when her recovery time was over. Unoma, who has a Masters in Project Planning and Management, likes to plan ahead. Waiting for six weeks to know what she had to do was defeating the purpose. You first have to have a mental roadmap of where you want to go before you can start moving. She prayed about what she wanted.
It was no coincidence therefore, when her friend from Junior High School sent her a message indicating that he was going to start his own business as a personal trainer. Gavin Skerritt had no idea what Unoma was praying for or what was taking place in her life. Gavin is one of the Federation’s sportsmen. He won the division of the Ultimate Fitness Events Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition in Canada. From lanky teenager to mass of muscles, Gavin was the person Unoma knew could help transform her body. Her gift to herself at the end of the process was to have a photo shoot to celebrate her fitness goal.
During her fitness regime, her car broke down. She ordered the part for the car but somehow each time the part came there was always a problem. She started walking to the gym, hoping it would just be for a couple days. The days rolled into weeks and rolled into months. Unoma walked one hour to get to the gym, worked out at the gym and actually walked back home. Imagine waking up after 4 a.m. then leaving the house minutes to 5 a.m. to get to the gym for four days a week for four months! On her journey she would pray to God for his protection. Now that is faith and endurance!
Another aspect of Unoma’s career is that she is a popular Master of Ceremonies. While hosting the Mother’s Day Pageant in 2013 someone commented on her body physique as she was wearing a short black dress.
“Your legs look good! You should enter the Black San Competition,” a friend told her. Unoma laughed in response as that was the furthest thing in her mind. She had had the surgery, months prior, in January 2013. Nonetheless, when her friend joked about the Black San Competition in May 2013, she saw it as an incentive to raise her enthusiasm about her work out. The day when her friend joked about the swimsuit competition, it was just a mere three days after she began her training with Gavin.
After all, Unoma had already planned to have a swimsuit photo-shoot. Why not start the ball rolling by entering a competition?
Additionally, there is another reason for entering the competition. She is celebrating her femininity. She feels great about herself and she is enjoying life.
Teachers do not need a classroom to lecture. They can use any platform to inspire and share life’s lesson. So what is Unoma’s message?
“Whatever your goal, it is possible to achieve it. If my participation in the Black San Competition is to encourage you, to get up and continue your journey, then I have spread my message. It is possible. You will cry, you will question your sanity and you will have to vent to that close friend, but you must persevere. You have to believe that your hard work will pay off. Whether I place, I’m last in the competition or whether I win, it doesn’t matter. I participated and that in itself shows me that it is possible to attain my goals. If by entering the Black San Competition I have inspired just 1 person, then my participation makes it even more worthwhile.”
Who is to say Unoma cannot have fun? She also surprised many people when she entered the Calypso Arena in 2006. She was frowned upon and Lady Sunshine surely brought her message. Her best record is placing 1st runner-up in the Female Calypso Competition and 2nd in the Calypso Monarch Competition. At the time, Unoma had never sang publicly but she surely left her mark in the calypso arena and will continue to do so in the future.
The swimsuit competition is just another arena. She expresses that when she is in her 80s and she reflects on her life, she wants to open her album and smile at her memories. She refuses to live her life waiting for death; that she views as insane.
If sanity is living her life to the fullest, then Miss Unoma Allen is quite sane and savvy.
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I am quite impressed with Unoma. Wishing her all the best in the competition!! She should inspire other young professionals who often feel trapped by society which dead that they stand on the sideline. Go Unoma!!