Iram Dewitt Lewis (born 3 May 1965) is a Bahamian

Coalition of Independents The Coalition Of Independents (abbreviated COI) is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. Lincoln Bain is the leader of the party. History Bahamian Evolution was co-founded by Lincoln Bain, Charlotte Green, and Cara Ellis. The org ...

politician and former sprinter who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Grand Bahama since

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

. He became the president of the

Grand Bahama Grand Bahama is the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas. It is the third largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays. The island is roughly in area and approximately long west to east and at it ...

Amateur Athletic Association in 2015. He was appointed Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture in March 2021. He participated in the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

and the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

as a member of the men's 4 × 100 m relay team. They advanced through their first heat and into the semifinals in 1996 but did not do this in 2000. Lewis' personal best 100m time is 10.20, set in 1988 (

Tuskegee University Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU; formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute) is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It was founded as a normal school for teachers on July 4, 1881, by the ...

) 9.95 (wind-aided Fl.) 200m 20.64 1998 Nassau.

Early life

Lewis was born in Freeport, Grand Bahama. He is the son of the Reverend Aram Lewis. He attended Water Cay All Age School, where he was made Head Boy, and then Freeport High School. He pursued an

Associate of Arts An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

at the

College of the Bahamas The University of The Bahamas (UB) is the national public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas with campuses throughout the archipelago. The main campus is located in the capital city of Nassau, on the island of New ...

before going on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts then a graduate degree, Bachelor of Architecture from

Personal life

Lewis lost his son in 2015.

Political life

On April 2 2025, Iram Lewis announced his decicision to withdraw from the

Free National Movement The Free National Movement (abbreviated FNM) is a political party in the Bahamas formed in the early 1970s and led by Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield. The current leader of the party is Michael Pintard and the current deputy leader is Shanendon C ...

, citing "an erosion of trust, lack of support, and a sense of unease over the direction his former party has taken as elections draw nearer". He subsequently joined the

, becoming the first sitting Member of Parliament to represent the party.

References

Living people 1965 births Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1995 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics Bahamian male sprinters Bahamian sportsperson-politicians Commonwealth Games athletes for the Bahamas Free National Movement politicians Culture ministers of the Bahamas Sports ministers of the Bahamas Youth ministers of the Bahamas Members of the House of Assembly of the Bahamas Olympic athletes for the Bahamas Pan American Games athletes for the Bahamas Tuskegee University alumni University of the Bahamas alumni World Athletics Championships athletes for the Bahamas Tuskegee Golden Tigers men's track and field athletes {{Bahamas-athletics-bio-stub