Healthy Active Tahltans – Megan Ryan

HEALTHY ACTIVE TAHLTANS

Megan Ryan

Following your passion sometimes means facing tough decisions. At twenty-four years old, Megan Ryan was weighing her options of either pursuing school and developing her role as a store manager or continuing on her path of becoming a figure skating coach. She followed her heart and decided to pursue coaching the sport she fell in love over two decades ago where she finds fulfillment.

Megan Ryan is a twenty-eight-year-old Tahltan member who is part of the family Howd-A-Ghtte and the Crow Clan. Her parents are Edward Jr. Ryan and Trina Goodwill, and her Tahltan grandparents are Edward Ryan and Alma Beatrice Brooks. Megan lives in Chase, B.C. with her fiancé and two stepsons.

Born and raised in Smithers B.C., Megan started skating at only six years old when she joined the Learn to Skate program which brought her through basic skating drills and skills development. She also played multiple sports including volleyball, basketball, track and field, snowboarding, and cross country running. She spent four years in the Learn to Skate program before transitioning into figure skating at age nine. The first four years of Megan’s figure skating were spent in Smithers before her family moved to Kamloops, B.C. when she was thirteen. In high school she focused solely on figure skating and practiced four days a week and did off ice training. She would travel around B.C. competing at regional competitions for her free skate and artistic programs. She was able to build her skills to do many different combination spins, field movements, every double jump, and started working on triples by the time she was seventeen.

After high school, Megan took a break from figure skating as she focused on working as a roofer and as a manager at a local store. After seven years, she picked up the sport she loved so much and rejoined her Kamloops figure skating club where they offered to put her through training to become a Learn to Skate coach. She completed her first training while also honing her figure skating skills and in 2019, she competed in her first competition in seven years.

After completing her Learn to Skate coaching program, Megan upgraded multiple times and is now able to coach figure skaters. In 2021, she moved to Chase, B.C. with her fiancé and helped start the Shuswap Skating Club where she is the head coach. The club brings youth through the Learn to Skate program and once they pass the class, they can transfer to figure skating. Megan is the only coach and creates lesson plans and education paths for all levels of skaters aged five to seventeen. She says her favourite part is being able to watch the skaters take her lessons and skills to improve themselves, as it is very fulfilling.

Megan continues to coach and looks to upgrade her coaching certifications from Regional to Provincial and one day, National. She has a dedicated group of around twenty-five skaters from all over the North Shuswap and Chase who look to her for coaching. She says that anyone looking to pursue a sport should not be scared and try new things; just enjoy the moment. This healthy active Tahltan followed her passion and found her way back to skating which has enriched her life and keeps her fulfilled.