TEDxPortofSpain » Imani Wilmot

Home Imani Wilmot

TEDxPortofSpain 2019 Speaker: Imani Wilmot

Imani Wilmot

Born and raised on the wave washed shores of Eight Mile, Bull Bay in St. Andrew, Jamaica, Imani Wilmot was a natural water baby. After watching her brothers surfing, Imani decided to take a crack at the sport at age 8. It was an instant connection that has shaped her life so significantly that she dedicated herself to motivating and empowering girls of all ages to try surfing. Imani is a world-renowned athlete and international role model. She is the founder of Surf Girls Jamaica and the featured face in the award-winning film ‘Surf Girls Jamaica’. She spends most of her time running the Jamnesia Surf Camp, Jamaica's first and only surf camp, and Creative Family Jamaica, a media production company.

Partially due to having grown up in a creative family, Imani thrives as a filmmaker and film producer having worked on notable Caribbean films such as Better Mus’ Come (Storm Saulter) and the Candy Shop (Joel Burke). Her work in film has also led her to hold a position on the selection committee for the Save the Waves Film Festival. Imani’s creativity is not limited to surfing and filming she also danced at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica from 1998-2002 and has published several poetry pieces under the pseudonym SoulKisser.

Imani, graduated with honors in Environmental Studies and Film Studies from the University of Ottawa in Canada and was one of the world’s first recipients of the ISA Individual Surfing Scholarship. She has travelled the world representing Jamaica at numerous surfing competitions, and has received awards such as Athlete of the Year for Surfing in Jamaica, Makka Pro Champion and National Female Champion to name a few.