> Ryan Outdoor Leadership Trust Biography
> 10/08/2018
> Wind River Wilderness, Wyoming’s Rocky Mountains
Self-esteem has to be earned by stepping out and taking a positive risk; taking on and overcoming a positive challenge.
Be the person you can be, apply today.
Growing up in Mountain Lakes, NJ, I was constantly challenging myself both physically and mentally. I played three sports in high school, namely field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, and took on a rigorous academic schedule. Unlike several other athletes from my town, however, I made the conscious decision not to play lacrosse in college. Instead, I wanted to focus on academics and take in the full college experience. This decision led me to Boston College, an incredible university that I would call home for the next four years and an even better city that I still call home today. I immediately enrolled myself in the most difficult mathematics classes offered to first year students and quickly came to the realization that the academic path that I was taking on at BC was going to be intellectual challenging on a daily basis. However as I entered my sophomore year, I felt as if something was missing.
I had played team sports my entire life and it was as if, by quitting athletics all together upon entering college, I had lost a part of my identity. While all of my best friends from high school were dominating the collegiate lacrosse field, I was struggling to find an outlet for my athletic drive. When researching opportunities where I could challenge myself physically, I remembered that my older sister, Sally Ryan, had completed a National Outdoor Leadership School (“NOLS”) expedition a few years back. I explored my options, and finally decided to take the risk and apply to participate in the NOLS Wind River Wilderness backpacking course in Wyoming’s Rocky Mountains.
I went into my NOLS experience expecting an extreme physical challenge, yet I could never have imagined the mental challenge that I was about to take on. There are two days in particular that I will never forget. About 20 days into my month long expedition, enough time to blister just about every inch of skin on both of my feet, my group found itself caught in a torrential downpour. I was carrying a 65 pound bag on my back, completely soaked, and physically exhausted. Sitting in my tent that night after the long hike to the base of a glacier, the idea of quitting crossed my mind for the first time. I was sore, blistered, tired, and WET. Nonetheless, the next morning, I awoke to my team members asking me to lead the group through the most difficult trek of the entire trip. I was forced to be mentally tough, leaving my quitting thoughts behind as my group cut switchbacks up the steep and icy face of a Rocky Mountain glacier. After one of the most difficult and terrifying hours of my entire life, I made it to the peak, threw my arms up in the air, and practically broke into tears. That morning I was ready to quit my NOLS expedition all together, yet somehow, thanks to the trust and support of my fellow NOLS teammates, I was able to accomplish something I would have never in a million years have thought that I was capable of. Upon reaching the glacier’s peak, I was overwhelmed by the feeling of immeasurable strength, an unwavering confidence. I had broken through every one of my mental, physical, and emotional limits and found a power within myself that I never knew was there.
NOLS gave me a unique opportunity to challenge myself in just about every way possible, and all in all, I truly do not believe that I would be the strong independent woman that I am today, had I not taken the risk and applied for a NOLS expedition.
The awarding of grants from the Trust will, initially, be limited to $2,500 in any calendar year. The grant may be up to 50% of the cost of the wilderness program. Ideally, the cost of the applicant’s program would be paid one-third by the applicant, one-third by the applicant’s parents, and one-third by the Trust.
Starting Grant
active members
so far
Ryan Outdoor Leadership Trust
Thomas N. Ryan, Trustee
43 Pollard Road
Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046