On July 18, 1995, the island's Soufrière Hills volcano began to erupt after lying dormant for centuries, upending the lives of local people in the process.

Those living in the volcano's path were forced to flee and after a major eruption in 1997 the capital of Plymouth was eventually completely abandoned.

Now described as a ghost town, the majority of the buildings were burnt to the ground and left covered in a blanket of lava and ash.

Plymouth, and the southern part of Montserrat, has now been sealed off as an "exclusion zone" due to the continued risk of eruptions and deadly pyroclastic flows.

Nineteen people died in the 1997 tragedy which destroyed the airport and ended a thriving tourist industry on what is known as the "Emerald Isle", due to its resemblance to Ireland. 

Two thirds of people on the island were forced to evacuate at some stage and large numbers left Montserrat for good.

With huge numbers of homes, shops and services wiped off the map, the total population plummeted to only around a thousand at one point in 1997.

Before the eruption the number had been 11,000, with 4,000 in the now deserted Plymouth alone.

"We were living under it actually," said Samuel, who will be Montserrat's Chef de Mission at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"We were moving backwards and forwards, until the big eruption when we couldn't get back in again.

"They told us to pack a bag and to move overnight, and overnight turned into 20 how much years...

"We couldn't actually see what was happening, but it was stressful for me as at that time I was pregnant with my first child.

"Having to move, trying to get out from under the ash...

"It was an experience I must say.

"We'd heard about volcanoes erupting but we'd never had one until that time."

Samuel was also Chef de Mission for Montserrat at both Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018, and is a vice-president of the island's Commonwealth Games Association.

She is also President of the netball body and a vice-president for athletics.

Sport, like everything else, was forced to start again from scratch after the volcano struck.

"We had to rebuild," said Samuel. "We had to make a choice - either we leave, or we rebuild. 

"And we wanted to rebuild as we love our country, so some of us stayed and continued on. 

"There was a small group of us who wanted sport to continue, so we basically stepped into the roles. 

"When people see you doing something like that, and see you doing something good, they don't want to move."

Samuel played nationally for Montserrat in netball and has recently coached an under-23 team, but the drop in population made forming a competitive side impossible for many years.

Numbers have now recovered to just under 5,000, but producing and then keeping hold of talented athletes remains a problem.

The British territory, which is not a member of the Olympic Movement, has only ever competed in the Commonwealth Games in athletics.

This trend is set to continue in Birmingham, where five sprinters have been selected for the 100 and 200 metres at Alexander Stadium.

All of the athletes chosen - Julius Morris, Johmari Lee, Tevique Benjamin, Sanjay Weekes and Deshawn Wilkins - are men and the island has never sent a woman to the Games since debuting in Victoria in 1994.

"Before the volcano I was part of the netball national committee," said Samuel. "But most of our players left for England, and we still have that challenge.

"We take athletes to a certain level and then, after a while, they decide to migrate to the UK. 

"So you have to start all over again." 

Access to facilities is also a problem with Montserrat's runners forced to practice on the beach or a grass track on the northern part of the island.

The hilly geography means identifying a suitable piece of land to build a proper track is a tough task, and any project would be expensive and not seen as a priority for a place which was essentially reduced to a blank canvas. 

"Since the volcano we came over here and we are sharing a multi-purpose facility," said Samuel, a coach for the Government of Montserrat who has taught sports such as netball, athletics, basketball and cricket to children from kindergarten age. 

"We hope to get a track, but the problem is on this side of the island we don't have much flat land.

"It's difficult and it doesn't seem like it's possible right now, unless somebody decides to give us some of their land." 

As running on grass and sand is far from ideal preparation for the Commonwealth Games, Montserrat tries to send its athletes abroad as much as possible.

However, this was stopped dead during the COVID-19 pandemic which forced the island into lockdowns and curfews.

Two athletes did travel to this year's CARIFTA Games but track time on a genuine surface has been limited.

Despite this, Morris will be an athlete to watch after being selected for his third Commonwealth Games.

At Gold Coast 2018, he won his heat in the 200m and was third in his semi-final with a time of 20.69sec.

He was only 0.7 seconds away from qualifying for the final as one of the fastest losers.

"He's our most senior athlete," Samuel said. "He was in Glasgow and did very well in Gold Coast.

"I hope that in spite of our challenges, we get much better results this time around."

Montserrat's sky turned completely black due to ash from the volcano's eruption, a far cry from the Emerald Isle tag which is represented on the flag by a woman playing a harp.

The territory has never won a medal and has only ever competed in the men's 100m and 200m at the Commonwealth Games, with the exception of Manchester 2002 where high jumper Gavin Lee formed a one-man team.

In Birmingham, the island will attempt the men's 4x100m relay again after their quartet was disqualified in Glasgow.

The Queen's Baton Relay visited Montserrat in April and was taken to Brades, which is serving as the capital following Plymouth's destruction.

A new capital in Little Bay is being built and the return of an airport in 2005 was a huge milestone as it ended the need to catch a ferry to Antigua.

Sarah Tucker, the governor, has targeted the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games for the first female athlete from the island, although Samuel's presence at least means there is a woman in a major position. 

"I enjoy the role," she said.

"The team appreciate what I have been doing for them so they chose me again. 

"I appreciate the confidence they have in me."