The New Year is usually the perfect time to pause and reflect on the months gone by.

That's precisely why The Royal Gazette Lifestyle section has compiled a list of some of the amazing Bermudians who have inspired us with their tales of perseverance and triumph in 2013.

One such person was young Bermudian chef Kieshé Simmons, who proved that age is sometimes just a number.

The 19-year-old was the youngest competitor and the only female taking part in the Bermuda Hospitality Institute 'Bermuda's Rising Chef' competition from October 23 to November 1.

She thought her chances of winning were slim and admittedly was shocked when she was announced the winner, beating out tough competition from other professional chefs.

“If you saw the video of me I actually turned around and cried for two minutes after they called my name,” she said at the time. “I got back up and you could see the expression on my face, I was completely speechless.

“Part of it was because I couldn't believe I beat 11 guys and I was the youngest. It was also because I had worked so hard.”

Ms Simmons said the competition was a big stepping stone in her career. She expects to take the Canadian Red Seal Cook Exam sometime next year to attain her certified chef status and said her ultimate goal is to work in Dubai, Italy or London one day.

Veteran Ju-Jitsu instructor, Burnell Williams, is also living proof that you don't have to slow down as you get older.

The then 79-year-old was still teaching young people martial arts when we spoke to him in August. Since then he has become one of the first inductees to the Bermuda Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

An avid bodybuilder in his younger years, Mr Williams decided to take up karate in 1960s because he enjoyed the family environment in the sport. He started studying Ju-Jitsu ten years later because he liked that there was no force needed.

Then in 2011, he successfully completed all the requirements demanded by the United Sanuces Family Association in the art of Sanuces Ryu Ju-Jitsu for the rank of Honorary Grandmaster an eighth degree black belt.

These days he works as a personal trainer at the Olympic Club and is possibly the oldest personal trainer on the Island.

“New clients do look surprised when they see how old I am,” he said in an interview earlier this year. “I also work in the evenings as a security guard at a restaurant in the City of Hamilton.”

Mr Williams attributes his good health to working out twice a day and fasting by drinking only organic apple cider vinegar and water on the weekends. His greatest reward is passing on his love for martial arts to a new generation of young Bermudians.

University student Kris Furbert, currently studying business at the European School of Economics in Spain, inspired us by devising his own creative way to see the world.

The 26-year-old had little in the way of money to travel, so he started a fundraising campaign that would allow him to cycle to different towns and cities near Madrid and document his journey through a film and blog called 'Onion on a bike, in Madrid'.

He said one of his aims is to encourage other people to think “a little more outside the box” when it comes to reaching a goal.

And he also wants to serve as an example to anyone struggling to overcome their fears in life.

He said at the time: “I am 26 years old now and the oldest person in my university class in Madrid. I started late because I kept putting it off, but I decided one day I had to get it done.

“That fear I had of trying it actually became my motivation to succeed. Every time I had exams I didn't know if I would pass or fail, but I always found a way to overcome the fear and used that to keep me going.”

You can still follow Mr Furbert's journey by visiting his Facebook page: Onion on a bike, in Madrid.

Local designer Deondre Cumberbatch this year personified the saying: 'One (wo)man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure'.

Ms Cumberbatch was given the chance to show off her fashion made from used chip bags, plastic utensils, newspapers, old shower curtains and black trash bags at the biennial Art and Entertainment Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in September. She also displayed her works at the Litter-Arti-fashion show at the Bermuda Society of Arts Gallery earlier this year.

Her aim was to show through the designs how much people consume and throw away.

“I also wanted to show just what we can do with the trash we rarely think about,” she said.

Ms Cumberbatch went through bags of garbage to collect her materials; she also encouraged the children she taught at summer camp to give her their used snack bags.

She agreed the process was a bit unconventional, but said “out of that came these beautiful, unique dresses.”

Through the project she learned a lot about people and their habits. “I learned that people waste a lot of stuff,” she said. “I remember opening up a trash bag and there was a bottle almost full with apple juice still in it. It wasn't bad or anything.”

She said she did it all because she wanted to help KBB bring about greater awareness of Bermuda's trash problem. She already has ideas for next year and might use materials from thrown away chairs and mattresses.

Veteran bus driver James (Jimi) Tweed, also known as “Mr Friendly”, was praised this year for going “above and beyond” to make the tourists feel welcome on our shores.

Mr Tweed is loved for his stories and friendly service — so much so that one of his passengers nominated him for the first ever Visitor Industry Partnership (VIP) Sunshine Award.

With this particular passenger Mr Tweed, who normally only travels between Dockyard to Horseshoe Bay and back, had decided to pick them up and take them to their destination at Elbow Beach in Paget.

“It was the last run of the day and I asked my supervisor if I could take them,” said Mr Tweed. “The supervisor agreed.”

Mr Tweed has been a bus driver for 16 years and since that time has developed a greater appreciation for the beauty of the Island.

David Dodwell, the Chairman of the Tourism Board, said he was a shining example to others in the tourism industry.

“Walking the extra mile, doing that little bit extra is in the character and history of Bermudians from all walks of life,” Mr Dodwell said. “This heritage of warmth and caring personality continues to be epitomised by Mr Tweed. If everyone took a leaf out of his book Bermuda tourism will soon be on the road to recovery.”

Artist and educator Sharon Wilson had a stand out year, beginning in February when she started blogging about the Island's escalating levels of violent crime and offering solutions for how we can stop the negative trends.

The writings were mass circulated via e-mail and Facebook weeks later. The artist even opened her doors to dozens of people interested in talking further.

To add to the dialogue, Ms Wilson also came out with an inspirational picture book last month, filled with 37 pieces of her emotive art work and a host of inspirational quotes, called Sharon Wilson Gold.

She said she had grown tired of hearing the complaints flood in on radio talk shows after each violent outbreak hit the Island — only to later see that nothing had been done to combat the problem.

She started asking herself questions like: what part she might have played in the Island's social ills as an artist, teacher and mother? And what could she possibly do to become part of the solution?

She said her hope was that the book would start a different kind of dialogue on the Island about the issues.

“Government can't legislate that people behave differently and people's behaviour only changes when you become less satisfied with what you are doing and want to do something else,” she said, during an interview earlier this month.

“But there is a tendency to say 'Those people are doing something' and we don't see what's our part in the messed up situation.

“What I realised is that while I can't change the world, I can look at what I am doing and see if I have something positive to contribute.”