Where It All Started | Ryan J. Brant
Being the youngest of 14 grandchildren in a sports oriented family can sometimes be overwhelming. At an early age, I learned the value of healthy competition, and my older brothers and sister motivated me to work harder and be the best possible.
I got involved in many sports, but my favorite was lacrosse. I loved every aspect of the game, especially the adrenaline rush from making a big save and stopping my opponent from scoring. I worked hard to hone my skills as a lacrosse goalie, spending hours practicing, working out, and having my older siblings shoot lacrosse balls at me — which they sometimes did with more zeal than necessary.
My hard work paid off. Despite a slight setback from a knee injury and surgery, I was ranked the number-5 goalie in the country in my senior year of high school. I felt invincible. I was at the top of my game, playing for a nationally recognized team, and heavily recruited by college coaches. The future was bright.
I accepted a scholarship to play lacrosse for the Buckeyes at Ohio State University, and I was fortunate to see a lot of playing time as a freshman. My coach and teammates were some of my biggest fans (besides my family, of course!) and I received a lot of attention and accolades. Life was good…until I took a direct hit to my knee that shattered a screw that was implanted in high school. I needed another surgery, but my coach still believed that I was “the guy” who was going to take the team to great heights. After several procedures, the team doctor postponed my return to play and things started to slip.
In the blink of an eye, I was a medical liability. I went from being entrenched in practices, games, and team building activities to feeling utterly alone, frustrated, discouraged, and angry. In the back of my mind, I knew I could turn this into something good, but I couldn’t see the path. Thanks to the support and guidance of my family, I managed to re-invent myself a bit. After a lot hard work, rehab, and a couple more knee surgeries, I continued to play lacrosse at Hofstra University in Long Island, NY.
In my senior year at Hofstra I saw how I could turn things around in a big way — not only for me, but for the many other athletes who are no longer able to participate in the sports they love because of injuries. Athletics and being a part of a team was such an important part of my life and taught me so much perseverance, tenacity, and determination. So with a renewed perspective and drive, I decided to establish a non-profit organization to help youth athletes deal with life-altering injuries. As a result, Positive Strides (Positive-Strides.Org) was born. We quickly began our work with the mission to advocate, educate, and support injured youth athletes. Today, that mission continues. We offer mental, physical, and financial support for our growing roster of athletes, and we’re tackling serious issues that come with catastrophic injuries like depression and addiction.
I was truly humbled to be nominated for a #WhySettle Spirit Award by Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels. The award definitely has a message I can get behind — you never have to settle for “good enough.” Life isn’t easy — one day you may be at the top and the next day you may be at the bottom. But no matter what, the key is to be strong, share your story with others, and continue to move forward taking “positive strides.”
