Talma to launch his book soon

‘DE Action Man’ Brian Talma is getting ready to launch his book, which reflects the challenges he has had to face over the years as a professional athlete.

Talma, who has become one of the most well-known faces of Barbados and anything to do with the beach and water, has competed all over the world and has promoted Barbados with his Beach Culture World Tour.

He told The Barbados Advocate that the book will start to dissect the makeup of the Bajan society, and things that are not acceptable but are not spoken about.

The book, entitled ‘The Brain Smiles and Life Sings... The Last of the Bronze Class’, is an autobiography. It speaks of his achievements such as Organic Tourism, which he deems a huge success; while the Beach Culture vision that he wanted to have – an inclusion of all colours, races and ethnicities which reflects what Barbados is about – has not come to past.

“When I started this journey 25 years ago, it was about promoting this Beach Culture and giving Barbados this pure thing called ‘Beach Culture’.

“I had an opportunity to stay or come back to Barbados, and as I was always travelling and I didn’t realise it. It is brutal in Barbados because it only serves one type of people.”

As he takes the readers on his journey, Talma said it talks about “my discrimination and then when I realise it isn’t discrimination, it’s racism”.

“Racism is when someone talks to you with demeaning words to try and break you down... I was racially attacked by white Barbados and people would like me to shut up, but I am not backing off on it.”

The book has 15 chapters and he has set himself the goal of finishing the book by January when he travels to Europe. Each chapter details a passage in his life and how he viewed it and overcame it.

It starts with the ‘Bronze Class’; then ‘Different Rules for Different Fools’; ‘Eye to Eye’, which he mentioned is around Chapter 9; and ‘Floating so High you can touch the sky’, which speaks to when he travels and no one being able to pull him down.

“I am the last and any mixed or black within windsurfing will not happen,” as Talma explained what is meant by bronze class.

‘The Brain Smiles and Life Sings’ tells the story of his strong mindset. “When you are dealing with all the challenges of life where you are really smiling, the brain is smiling as it is looking at the vision of your goal and you focusing on it and when you hit that goal... life sings.”

Each section of the book tells of how Talma was ‘pounded’ and how he came back. One thing Talma promises is that the book will be edgy. (CG)