Lawyer Tina Marie Foote was called to the Bermuda Bar yesterday in a courtroom ceremony packed with proud friends and family members.

Mrs Foote cited inspirational quotes from a diverse set of figures during the ceremony — ranging from movie character Rocky Balboa to Bahamian evangelist Myles Munroe — before calling her admission a “humbling experience”.

She recalled her difficulties in primary school, where an undiagnosed eyesight problem saw her fall behind.

Later in her youth, a guidance counsellor suggested that she “wasn’t college material”, inadvertently spurring on her desire to achieve great things.

At the age of 40, having previously worked in insurance, Mrs Foote travelled to the BPP Law School in Great Britain to begin three years of study.

During this time, she took her young daughter Danielle with her, while husband Allan remained in Bermuda.

“Was I crazy? Absolutely not,” said the 47-year-old, who works at Pettingill & Co, the fledgling law firm run by former Attorney-General Mark Pettingill.

She went on to quote the 2006 American drama film Akeelah and the Bee: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

“Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?”

Chief Justice Ian Kawaley called Mrs Foote’s road to becoming a lawyer “quite an unusual story”, adding that her life experiences would help her empathise with those who needed legal assistance.