It has been said that you never know where you are going to meet a fellow Bermudian. Ty-Ron Douglas, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri, had such an experience recently when he discovered, when reading The Royal Gazette online, that Kerri Furbert, the Bermudian long jumper, was attending his university.

The two did not know each other, even though Douglas is a former athlete himself, having competed with the Bermuda Pacers Track Club in his younger days as a 100?metres runner and long jumper.

He is also a cousin of Troy Douglas, the national track coach, while his father, Stan, is a former president of the Bermuda National Athletic Association.

An article on the Bermuda connection appeared in the November issue of Mizzou Magazine. In the article, Douglas spoke about his friendship with his fellow Bermudian and a desire to spread the word of Mizzou to other Bermudian students.

As a researcher of black community-based spaces such as barbershops, churches and sports clubs, Douglas knows informal relationships can often create strong bonds. Now he is teaming with long jumper Furbert to spread the word about Mizzou among their countrymen.

“It’s typical of the Bermudian experience in that most people aren’t that far away,” Douglas said. “You’ve got 65,000 people on a 21-square-mile island. Connections already exist and my hope is that we can build relationships and get students to consider Mizzou as an option.”

Furbert learnt about MU from her youth track coach who knew Kareem Streete-Thompson, a former Tigers assistant coach and three-times Olympian. Furbert proved her athletic prowess when she qualified for the 2011 Carifta Games.

“I reached out to her via e-mail and since that time my family and I have been able to develop a relationship with her,” Douglas said.

“My family and I met her at one of her indoor track meets last school year. Since then, she has visited our home to have a meal and she has attended our youngest son’s soccer game.

“Ironically, Kerri believes she is the first Bermudian student to study at MU and I believe I am the first Bermudian professor here. I do not think we will be the last.”

Douglas wants to create a partnership with Mizzou and Bermuda College. He also hopes to develop programmes that may entice future Bermudian school principals to study in his department.