Like many boys, Kyle Bryant actively participated in sports.When problems with incoordination plagued him throughout adolescence, his parents took him to multiple doctors. Finally, when he was 17, they discovered that he suffered from the rare genetic condition known as Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA), a disorder that is both crippling and progressive. Though the news of this devastating illness could have sent Bryant deep into despair, his thoughts took a different turn.
“I remember immediately thinking how fortunate I was to be so active despite the disorder,” he says.“I thought that I should do as much as I could before it was too late to benefit others with FA who weren’t so fortunate.”
When Bryant graduated from college in 2005 with a degree in engineering, he discovered how he could contribute to the FA cause. “It was getting difficult just to walk down the street, and this made me feel trapped and anxious to do something,” recalls Bryant. “I saw a guy on TV riding a special tricycle and thought, I can do that. So I bought a trike.”
Bryant pedaled seven miles on his first ride and continued to best himself, reaching 50 miles a few Weeks later. Just four months after getting his trike, he decided to tackle a 100-mile ride benefiting the American Diabetes Association.“During the last 20 miles of the Diabetes ride, I realized that I was going to finish, and I thought, If I can do this, I can do anything,” says Bryant. “At that point, I realized that things aren’t supposed to be easy, but if you take the right steps, things will happen, and it can be incredibly satisfying and empowering.”
At the back of Bryant’s mind during the 100-mile ride was a plan to set up his own ride to benefit FA research, which he did in early 2007 when he launched his fundraising organization, Ride Ataxia, by biking 2,500 miles from San Diego to Memphis in 59 days. The trip, which he took with his father and uncle, raised $40,000 and was matched by two FA organizations, elevating the total to $100,000. Since then Bryant has initiated the raising of nearly $1 million for Ataxia research.
“I realized after my diagnosis that it’s important to not use your circumstances as an excuse to feel sorry for yourself, but to use it as an excuse to do something great with your life,” says Bryant, a member of The Klassy Talkers in Sacramento, California, who was a semifinalist in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking last August. Bryant puts his speaking skills to good use. Organizations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, schools and pharmaceutical companies hire him to share his story of faith and persistence with their audiences.
Becoming a Spokesperson
For a couple of years after starting Ride Ataxia, Bryant worked full time as an engineer and rode and raised funds in his free time. In October 2009, he left his engineering job and accepted a position with the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) as its spokesperson. Ronald Bartek is co-founder and president of FARA. He met Bryant in 2007 at the kickoff of the San Diego-to- Memphis ride. “Kyle is an inspiring man of real quality and character with a winning personality and a wonderful way with people,” says Bartek. “In addition to inspiring patients with FA and their families and friends, he has invigorated the FA scientific community. Thanks to his fundraising and collaboration efforts, scientists are now saying the ‘C’ word. Up until about five years ago they wouldn’t think of mentioning the possibility of a cure.”
Robert Wilson is an FA researcher and professor at the University of Pennsylvania who agrees with Bartek’s assessment.“The progress in FA research is Unprecedented, especially for a rare disorder, and Kyle’s role in terms of direct funding and inspiration has been crucial,” says Wilson. “It takes major dollars to perform biomedical research, and Kyle has raised extraordinary sums, which is critical for developing effective treatments and a cure for a rare condition such as FA.”
Wilson is also impressed with Bryant’s strength, despite having the disorder. “I find Kyle amazing,” says the researcher. “FA causes extreme muscle fatigability. It’s difficult enough for anyone to ride for long distances, but for someone with FA, it’s nothing short of stupendous.”
After leading Ride Ataxia for about a year, Bryant decided in 2008 that he also wanted to share his story through public speaking. “I realized that relating my personal story with people would be the most effective way of getting the word out about the rides and our cause. So when one of my co-workers at the engineering firm where I worked invited me to a Toast masters meeting, I jumped on the opportunity. My first impression was that everyone spoke so well, and they all appeared to be having a lot of fun.”
Delivering a Powerful Message
John Tillison is a fellow Klassy Talker who is amazed at how Bryant has harnessed the power of Toastmasters to get his message across. “When Kyle gave his first speech a couple of Years ago, he told an upbeat story of someone who loved sports, until he described his disease, at which point the Ice Breaker took an emotional turn,” recalls Tillison. “As I got to know him better, we discussed how he could make his message userfriendly yet highly compelling, and his passion and sense of humor began to meld a very powerful message. I’ve been a Toastmaster for 18 years, and I can’t remember anyone improving more vastly than him.
What’s particularly encouraging is how he has used the skills he learned in Toastmasters to not only create awareness of the disease and spearhead a major funding project, but to inspire and touch the lives of others.”
For Donna and John Newman and their 13-year-old daughter Natalie, Bryant’s efforts offer inspiration and hope. Natalie was diagnosed with FA in May 2010, and the couple’s initial research of the condition presented them with dire news. “Everything we found on FA – such as how crippling and lifeshortening the disease is – devastated us,” says Donna Newman, who lives in Dallas, Texas. “We felt utterly hopeless until we stumbled on Kyle. The fact that he was working so hard to raise money to find a Cure for this disease and remains active himself gave us hope at a very dark time. My daughter got to meet him recently when he came to Dallas for a race, and I heard her telling her friends afterwards that she had met her hero.”
In June 2010, Bryant and two other bicyclists represented FARA in a Race Across America event. The team took turns biking the 3,000-mile, coast-to-coast trip, finishing in eight days, eight hours and 14 minutes.
“This disease does limit the ability of those of us with FA, making it tough to do anything, but I always remind myself that life is not about what happens to us, but how we react to what happens,” says Bryant.“I tell everyone to not let FA, or any other condition, limit them. Do what you’ve always wanted to do – even if it seems a little crazy – and do it now.”
For more information about Kyle Bryant, Ride Ataxia and FARA, visit http://www.rideataxia.org.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a freelance writer based in Southern California and a longtime contributor to the Toastmaster. You can reach her at Julie@JulieBawdenDavis.com.
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