ST. PAUL, Minn. – Throughout the duration of the fall semester in our #WeAreMore feature series, we will feature student-athletes and their contributions off the field of play, providing a glimpse into their campus and community involvement.
Our CSP student-athletes are so much more than the sports they play. Learn about the incredible impact these individuals have made, and continue to make, as we uncover what makes them MORE.
Feature stories will be published every Monday and Wednesday throughout the remainder of the semester. Stay tuned and Go Bears! Presented by ACR Homes.
Our second #WeAreMore feature story for this week highlights Ryan Bastyr, future physical therapist and senior first baseman for CSP Baseball.
Ryan Bastyr is a Lakeville native, and he is a member of a couple of campus groups including KHS Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Faith and kinesiology are both extremely important to Ryan's life, and why he has chosen to involve himself in these two organizations. KHS Club's mission is twofold; to promote and organize events on campus that encourage physical activity and wellbeing, and dive into current research in exercise physiology. FCA is a club of Christ followers that gathers together as student-athletes to grow their faith through the Bible and personal shared experiences.
In addition to his organizational membership, Ryan is also an avid service leader that is involved in impactful volunteer groups. Ryan volunteers with both Feed My Starving Children and All Saints Church in Lakeville. Feed My Starving Children serves underserved communities by providing pre packaged meals to those in need. Ryan volunteers with All Saints Church of Lakeville annually for their community garage sale. The sale fosters giving of affordable clothing and household items to families in need, and allows for volunteers and attendees to share in fellowship centered on the good news of God.
Finally, Ryan is presently completing an 8-credit internship at Walker Methodist. The internship gives Ryan the opportunity to create and develop exercise programs for older adults. Ryan recently got accepted into UW-La Crosse's DPT program and is very excited to pursue that opportunity in June of 2021.
Ryan Bastyr on what drives him to be a physical therapist:
"I am driven to discover more about human physiology and movement. I am very interested in the rehab aspect of patient care. I have been to physical therapy twice and have seen first-hand the positive effects that PT can provide. I think for many patients it is a rewarding and powerful experience to go through physical therapy. It should give themselves confidence that they can help themselves through exercise, and without surgery or medication in many cases. I look forward to encouraging my future patients on the amazing things they can do through hard work and a commitment to exercise. I believe the most rewarding aspect of my job will be seeing my patient's reach their goals and get back to doing the things they love to do."
RYAN BASTYR – IN HIS OWN WORDS
CSP: What are your responsibilities as a member of KHS to help the organization encourage physical activity and well-being?
Ryan: As a member of KHS Club, we are interested in pursuing different activities and events that will get members of the CSP community involved and moving. Moving forward in the school year, we hope to run an exercise-based event that will most likely be virtual in nature. This may be an online 5K or a different fitness-based challenge. Lookout for information on this soon!
CSP: How can individuals get involved with the Kinesiology Club?
Ryan: Fellow Golden Bear Dalton Smerchek and I are meeting with a faculty member next week to really get the club up and running. Besides the event, I am interested in having the club meet on a regular basis to discuss other ideas to encourage physical activity on campus. Also, potentially we would conduct some online research about new and emerging technologies and advancements in the exercise physiology field, and then talk about some of that research in groups. This way, we can continue to learn about great things that can help people move more effectively. If you are interested in exercise science/physiology or if any of this information sounds like something you would like to be involved in, please reach out to either of us! We would love to have you in the KHS Club. You can reach out to me via email at bastyrr@csp.edu.
CSP: Talk about your involvement with FCA. How have you grown spiritually through your involvement with the Christ-centered group?
Ryan: Throughout my college experience at FCA, I have been able to grow in my faith with athletes from nearly every athletic program here on campus and learn more about their faith journeys. It has been a great opportunity for me to learn from people of all different backgrounds. FCA is great because it allows time to grow individually and in small groups. I enjoy dissecting different parts of the bible and then discussing it with others.
CSP: How can individuals get involved with FCA?
Ryan: With the on-going COVID-19 situation, FCA meetings have not yet taken place. However, an elite alternative that many other students on campus have taken advantage of, athletes included, is the 908 Wednesday chapel service. It is framed similarly to what FCA meetings typically have been with more opportunities for worship. It is a great opportunity for people to grow their relationships with God and other followers of Jesus. I would highly recommend anyone and everyone to attend! It meets, as it states, at 9:08pm at the chapel on campus every Wednesday!
CSP: Tell us a little more about your volunteer experience. What lessons have you learned and what skills have you gained by way of helping others?
Ryan: I have really enjoyed both volunteer experiences I have had. They help people in different ways, but both experiences entail opportunities to serve others. At Feed My Starving Children, I have had the opportunity to pack meals for underserved communities across the globe. At my church in Lakeville, we can directly impact our local community by offering affordable products through the annual garage sale, while bonding in fellowship through service with other Christians. I think these experiences provide both opportunities for thankfulness for what we have, but also empathy and understanding for what others maybe do not have. Both experiences provide opportunities to serve and give to others, which is a big reason why we are here.
CSP: You spoke about your interest in helping the older adult population through your internship experience. Why are you so passionate about helping out this particular demographic?
Ryan: My interest in helping the older adult population stems from my shadowing experience in physical therapy. In my experience, older adults were my favorite group of people to work with because of their kindness and willingness to share about their life stories. I was able to learn a lot from them, and down the road when I am a physical therapist, I hope they can learn a little from me.
CSP: What makes you MORE?
Ryan: I believe I am much more than an athlete. I am a motivated learner that wants to learn how I can help others move more efficiently again and pain-free. I am a follower of Christ that seeks to help others. I hope to blend these characteristics into my future, so it can make me a better person and physical therapist.
