Bermuda may be a small Island, but it is full of unsung heroes — inspirational residents who are making a real difference in their communities and improving the lives of others, without expecting any recognition or praise. In a new regular feature, we celebrate the incredible achievements of the ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things.

Kelli Nusum’s beaming smile is almost as big as her kind heart.

And the 28-year-old Bermudian can’t help herself from grinning broadly every time she talks about the “amazing” young people she volunteers to help through the Beyond Rugby programme.

Since getting involved in December, 2011, she has dedicated much of her spare time to training students from Dellwood Middle School and CedarBridge Academy — becoming a coach, mentor, inspiration and, most importantly, a friend.

“When I started doing this I had never had interaction with any youth programme, be it children with the best behaviour or the worst,” Ms Nusum said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was hesitant.

“I had never worked with young people, I had never taken on a coaching role and the programme has a social development side which I wasn’t sure I was prepared for.

“But I am passionate about rugby and this was a unique opportunity to share it with others.”

Ms Nusum wanted to offer the Island’s young people the same gifts rugby had given her — confidence, fun, exercise and an extended family.

“When I was a kid I didn’t have many friends — I was awkward, shy, a nerd and I found it difficult to make friends,” she said. “That only changed when I found rugby.

“I had found it difficult to speak to people and was quite introverted. I’ve played sports my whole life — football, netball, hockey, swimming — but my confidence didn’t grow off the field.

“I found rugby in my second year at university in Newcastle when I was 19 and I knew it was the sport for me.

“My self-confidence has grown and rugby is like family — people really look out for each other on and off the pitch. It’s an all-inclusive sport — male or female, short or tall, skinny or not so skinny, there is a place for you.

“Rugby changed my life, and I wanted to give that to people at a younger age than I found it.”

Beyond Rugby, a collaboration with Family Centre, was launched in 2011 by former WWE professional wrestler John ‘JBL’ Layfield and Patrick Calow, the youth development officer for Bermuda Rugby Football Union.

The project aims to help “at-risk children who tend to get lost in society by dropping out or joining gangs”, according to the initiative’s website.

More than 60 male and female students from CedarBridge Academy and Dellwood Middle School are involved in Beyond Rugby. Ms Nusum helps to coach the Dellwood students twice a week, as well as helping — and cheering loudly — at their weekly games.

She is also the coach for the Bermuda Under-16s women’s rugby Sevens team, which played their first competitive game at the end of June, and trains and plays with Bermuda’s adult women’s rugby Sevens team.

On average, five or six days of her week are devoted to the game. And all this on top of her busy day job leading a team of accountants in the operations department at Validus Re.

“It doesn’t matter how the children are coming into the programme, whether they are disruptive or well behaved,” Ms Nusum said. “I can see them growing. That’s the thing that means the most to me.

“People who support the programme are often looking for a tangible benefit, such as the young people going on to play for the national team or maybe get a college scholarship.

“But there are so many intangible benefits. One girl was so shy she barely spoke. She really wanted to play but wasn’t sure how to get involved. By last year she was taking part in everything and really enjoying the sessions — that’s huge.

“One of my favourite moments was when one of our guys from the first season who had gone on to high school came back to Dellwood earlier this year and was telling the children to listen to their coaches because they won’t always get this type of attention. He acknowledged the strength of the programme and reinforced it to the students.

“He was a great athlete but one of the toughest children in terms of managing his personality, yet months later he’s so respectful and mature. I’d like to think that’s what we give the children — they don’t have to be the top of everything but they gain focus.

“Rugby is a great sport, especially for young people. It teaches them core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship.”

Most of Beyond Rugby’s players had never touched a rugby ball before signing up but now many of them play for the national teams. Some were part of the Bermuda Under-19 squad which won the North American Caribbean Rugby Association Trophy in Trinidad in July.

“It’s cool being able to see them in that setting representing their country,” Ms Nusum said. “A lot of our boys are involved now.

“It’s amazing, I would have loved to have done that. It’s lovely to see them really excited about rugby and I try to go to as many games as I can.

“If some of them could get a college scholarship through playing rugby that would be huge, and would give them more purpose.

“I have seen a number of young men and women grow into great athletes, students and well-rounded young adults. I have also seen development in myself as a better coach, player, mentor, friend, employee and manager.”

Ms Nusum is keen for any young girls who want to play to come to training for the Under-16 team, which she hopes to expand to Under-18s.

“I get asked, ‘how do you get girls to play contact rugby?’, but you just need a couple who are interested enough to try,” she said. “They enjoy it and tell their friends.

“Seeing a young girl grow in confidence is a real highlight for me.

“The Under-16 girls are the next national team — it would be amazing to see them get involved on a national level.”

Ms Nusum was keen to praise and thank her employer, Validus Re, for being “supportive from the start”.

“Validus is a founding sponsor of Beyond Rugby and they allowed me flexible working hours so that I could help to coach,” she said. “They make a real effort to involve all the staff in our progress and like providing updates on what we’re doing and how the children are getting on.

“That makes me happy and want to continue. Not every company would do so much — they really are big on giving back to the Island.

“I believe in the programme and I am honoured to work for a company that feels the same.”

To find out more about Beyond Rugby, visit www.beyondrugbybermuda.com or their Facebook page.

Any girls interested in training with the Bermuda women’s Under-16 team should e-mail Patrick Calow, youth development officer for Bermuda Rugby Football Union, at pcalow@brfu.bm

Do you know someone who is dedicated to making the Island a better place? Is there a good samaritan who selflessly helps others? A volunteer working tirelessly for charity? E-mail lmcgrath@royalgazette.com or call 278-0157.