The British native, who has Jamaican parents, was on her first trip to Jamaica recently. She spoke about aspects of the culture she had previously heard about and wanted to experience first-hand.
"Definitely the food," she said with enthusiasm. She explained that upon seeing a hummingbird one morning, she became ecstatic. "Everything is a big bonus for me and everyone is so nice. I've had a really, really good experience."
drama and performance
Beckford is now studying drama and performance at the University of Wolverhampton and added, " I want to be an inspiration for young people to aspire to their dreams and aim for what they want to achieve." Explaining that young people need to go for their goals, she continued, "Everyone has a dream, it's just how you go about achieving it and black people are talented in so many ways it's unbelievable."
"We often waste time sitting, thinking, what if, I wonder," said Beckford, who told Flair that as a teenager she took up figure-skating. A pastime that many black people do not normally engage in, She excelled in it, advancing to the semi-professional stage past many other girls who had been practising since age of two.
Spreading the vibe
"Taking the Jamaican vibe to the pinnacle" is one of Tamara's goals, and it is a feat she feels she has achieved to some extent through her involvement in the Miss Europe Junior World contest last year. "For us to be entered in it is something really major and big and to place ninth is an honour for me ... because through that competition, I've led the way for other Jamaican girls to go there and rise to the pinnacle where Jamaicans belong."
Beckford said that at the Miss Europe Junior World, she ended up educating many of the contestants about their heritage and geography, as she seemed to know more about their own countries than they did.
Explaining that people asked about Bob Marley's music, she said she was quite popular in Tunisia (where the competition was held) and expressed joy that aspects of our heritage are celebrated worldwide.
Tamara admits that she owes a lot to her family, as without them, she doesn't think she would have gained so much. Her family has several business endeavours.
"My family has opened my eyes to business, aiming for my goals, striving to achieve them, setting aside money and occupying my time wisely," she says.
Former Miss Jamaica UK, Tamara Beckford shares her ambitions with Flair. - Photo by Richard Morais
