NEW YORK, January 25, 2026 - Immediate Past President of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) and the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC), Brian Lewis, has issued a powerful call for men across the Caribbean to prioritise their health through regular prostate cancer screening.
Lewis was a featured guest on Saturday’s edition of TalkSports, hosted by Michael Bascombe and Rudieon Sylvan, following his recent public disclosure of a prostate cancer diagnosis.
Rather than keeping the matter private, Lewis said he made a deliberate decision to turn his personal challenge into a public appeal, aimed at raising awareness about prostate health while continuing to advocate for athletes and sport throughout the region.
“What is often a very private struggle, I felt, had to become a public one,” Lewis explained during the programme. “If my experience can help save even one life, then it is worth sharing.”
The veteran sports administrator, who has served Caribbean sport at both national and regional levels for decades, stressed that his diagnosis has not diminished his commitment to athlete development and welfare. He noted that his vow to “Walk for Athletes” symbolises both his ongoing recovery and his continued service to sport.
“I am still walking for athletes, still walking for sport, and now I am also walking for health awareness,” Lewis said. “This is about responsibility—to ourselves, to our families, and to our communities.”
The most emotional moment of the programme came when Lewis was asked what single message he wanted to leave with the TalkSports audience. His response was emphatic and wide-reaching, directed particularly at men of Afro-Caribbean descent.
“Go and get screened,” Lewis urged. “Tell your brother. Tell your husband. Tell your sweet man. Tell your cousin, your brother-in-law, your uncle-in-law, your father-in-law, your uncle, your grandfather. Go and get screened. Early detection saves lives.”
He went on to outline the urgency of action, especially for men over the age of 40.
“Today is Saturday. Make an appointment on Monday,” he said. “If you have never been screened and done a PSA in the case of prostate cancer, go Monday or Tuesday latest and do it. If you have done one before and you haven’t done one for the last two, three, or four years and you’re over forty and of Afro-Caribbean descent, go Monday morning, Tuesday the latest, and get screened.”
The interview resonated strongly with listeners across the Caribbean and the diaspora, many of whom regard Lewis as one of the region’s most respected sports leaders. On Saturday, however, he spoke not only as an administrator, but as a man using his voice and platform to confront stigma and promote early detection.
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