Ryan was born in Halifax, NS and was raised in Windsor, NS. He began paddling with his brother Justin at the age of 7 at a small club in Windsor. Ryan was the first athlete from the Pisiquid Aquatic Canoe Club to go to Junior Worlds.

Ryan competed in 2005 at Pan American Canoe Championships where he won sliver in K2 500M, K4500M and bronze in the K4 1000M. He was also at Pan Am Championships in 2001 in Yucatan, Brazil winning sliver in K4 200, K4 1000, K4 500 and bronze in K2 1000, K2 200. He attended the 2000 Pan Am Canoe Championships in Lake Placid where he won bronze in Jr. K2 1000, K41000.   Ryan also attended Junior Worlds in 2001 in Curitiba, Brazil.

One of his most memorable and exciting races was at the 2004 World Cup in Duisburg, Germany where he raced the relay 4 X 200M race and they won a silver medal. The other is at National Championships in 2007 when he won the men’s K2 500M with a time of 1:29:657 also breaking a long standing record that dated back to 1994.

Ryan graduated from Windsor Regional High School, Windsor, NS and is currently working on his degree in BSc (Psychology) at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS as a distance student.