An Accomplished Athlete, Influencer, and speaker
As a child, Tabia Charles was a talented athlete, participating in all kinds of sports ranging from track and field, to dance, to soccer. By the time she was in high school, it became evident Tabia was not only gifted, but she was exceptional. Her abilities garnered her multiple scholarship offers. Charles ultimately selected the University of Miami as her home for the next leg of her promising future.
While completing her Honours BA in three years rather than four, Tabia somehow found the time to become an NCAA Champion and 12-time All-American. After graduating in 2006, Charles returned to Canada and continued her training, entered the workforce and furthered her education.
From 2007 to 2010, Charles competed professionally for Team Canada and Nike, becoming a Canadian record-holder in both long jump and triple jump with her athletic career highlight competing Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
After suffering a career-ending injury, Charles refused to be sidelined. Her athletic career brought her to over 30 countries across the globe and Charles was not about to rest on her laurels. After completing an advanced diploma in Human Resources from Centennial College, Charles’s career in Marketing and HR took off. Not one to still for too long, Charles once again challenged herself and from 2012-2014 she returned to school full-time to pursue her Master’s degree. In 2014, Charles indeed graduated with her MA in Industrial Relations and HR at the University of Toronto. Following graduation, Charles’s career continued to flourish and she entered the field of Project Management.
In 2017, Charles said “I do” to her childhood, fellow track star sweetheart, Dennison Collins, officially becoming Tabia Charles Collins and stepmother to Dante, whom she has loved and cared for over the years. In 2017, the family of three welcomed baby D’Angelo. Both sons often accompany Charles and Collins as they coach various athletic teams across the GTA.
So what did this All-American, NCAA Champion, record holding Olympian do while she was on maternity leave? She started a new business, of course. As a child, the only thing Charles loved as much as sports was fashion. With a handful of projects on the go, Charles did as she always has and found the energy and ability to pursue yet another dream – the result is Anisah, a beautiful, bold line of clothing for men and women.
