For Courtney Ryan, sports have always been more than competition. They have been a source of confidence, community, and identity. 

Growing up in San Diego, California, Ryan fell in love with soccer at just four years old. The field quickly became a second home, and her talent carried her all the way to collegiate athletics. As an All-American defender at Metropolitan State University of Denver, she was building a promising future in the sport she loved. 

Then, everything changed. 

At 19 years old, during her junior season, Ryan suffered a devastating injury after a slide tackle during a match. A blood clot burst and caused damage to her spinal cord, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. In an instant, she was forced to rethink her future, her athletic identity, and what life would look like moving forward.  

“It felt like everything I knew had been taken away,” Ryan has shared in interviews reflecting on that time. 

Yet what could have marked the end of her athletic journey ultimately became the beginning of a new one. 

Discovering Adaptive Sports Through CAF 

During rehabilitation, Ryan was introduced to wheelchair basketball through a mentor connected to the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). What began as an introduction quickly turned into an obsession. 

The fast pace, physicality, and competitive intensity reminded her of everything she loved about sports. 

She was hooked. 

Soon after attending her first wheelchair basketball tournament, Ryan sank a game-winning basket, reinforcing the feeling that she had found a new home in athletics. Her natural competitiveness returned, and with it, a renewed sense of purpose. 

CAF played an important role in helping Ryan reconnect with sport during a pivotal moment in her life, opening the door to opportunities that would eventually take her around the world. 

From New Athlete to International Competitor 

Ryan’s talent in wheelchair basketball developed quickly. 

After being recruited to the University of Arizona, she transferred from Metropolitan State University of Denver and joined one of the nation’s premier adaptive athletics programs. There, she competed for the Wildcats while studying special education with an emphasis on disability studies. 

The experience gave her something she had been missing since her injury. 

“I was back at that collegiate student-athlete mindset and identity again,” Ryan said when reflecting on her transition into adaptive sports.  

Her success continued to grow. 

Ryan earned opportunities with the U.S. Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team, competed professionally in Australia’s Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League, and established herself as one of the country’s top athletes in the sport. 

Today, she is a two-time Paralympian and two-time Paralympic medalist. 

Her accomplishments include: 

• Bronze Medal, Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games 

• Silver Medal, Paris 2024 Paralympic Games 

• Bronze Medal, 2023 IWBF Women’s World Championship 

• More than a decade representing Team USA in international competition 

Creating Opportunities for Women in Sport 

Ryan’s impact extends far beyond her own playing career. 

Recognizing the lack of opportunities for women in wheelchair basketball, she helped co-found the Team PossAbilities Shield Maidens, the first all-women’s wheelchair basketball team in California. The program was created to increase access, visibility, and competitive opportunities for female athletes with disabilities.  

Her advocacy stems from personal experience. 

Ryan knows what it feels like to search for belonging after life changes unexpectedly, which is why she remains committed to creating pathways for future generations of adaptive athletes. 

Whether she is mentoring youth athletes, speaking about disability inclusion, or helping expand access to adaptive sport, her mission remains the same: ensuring others have the same chance to discover what’s possible through athletics. 

Giving Back as a Coach and Mentor 

In addition to competing internationally, Ryan has dedicated herself to coaching. 

After graduating from the University of Arizona, she became an assistant coach for the university’s nationally recognized women’s wheelchair basketball program, helping guide aspiring athletes both on and off the court.  

She also serves as one of CAF’s elite Wheelchair Basketball Training Zone coaches, sharing instructional content and expertise with athletes across the country. Through drills, skill development exercises, and mentorship, she helps athletes learn, train, and build confidence no matter where they are in their journey.  

Her coaching style is shaped by lived experience. 

She understands the challenges athletes face after injury or diagnosis because she has lived them herself. That perspective makes her not only a knowledgeable coach, but also a powerful mentor for athletes navigating their own transitions into adaptive sport. 

Looking Ahead 

More than a decade after her injury, Courtney Ryan continues to redefine what is possible. 

As a Paralympic medalist, Team USA veteran, coach, advocate, and CAF athlete, she has built a career centered on resilience, leadership, and service. What started as a devastating setback became a platform to inspire others and create opportunities for the next generation of adaptive athletes. 

Through wheelchair basketball, Ryan rediscovered her identity. Through coaching and advocacy, she is helping countless others do the same. 

For athletes facing an unexpected life change, her story is a powerful reminder that one chapter ending does not mean the story is over. Sometimes, it is just the beginning.