PeacePlayers South Africa Storybook FINAL - Flipbook - Page 34
At Thibault’s wedding, Ryan was sitting in the lobby of a hotel he was staying in, watching pilots come in and out
of the hotel. He recalls them “living a pretty cool lifestyle.” That was something he always knew he wanted to do.
And from that moment forward, at age 31, Ryan pursued aviation. Before, flying a plane was just a dream he once
had in high school. He saw it as a reality because of his experiences and connections made outside Sydenham and
through Playing for Peace.
Upon returning to South Africa, he constantly looked for avenues to pursue an aviation career. A few years later,
Playing for Peace had a visitor named Ann Curry, a world-renowned American journalist. Ryan showed Ann
and her family the entire programme on their visit to Durban. He was surprised by their departing act of kindness.
On the second to last day of her trip, they offered to pay for his first ten hours of flight school, which set him up for
success.
Before this moment, he was so connected to the mission and work Playing for Peace was doing that he knew
Playing for Peace was where he wanted to be his entire life. Along the way, he received assistance from other
supporters who helped him conclude aviation school. It means a lot that Ryan can now do what he dreamed of on
a daily basis. During apartheid, his parents were restricted from job opportunities because of their race. Now he is
able to live out his dreams regardless of his skin colour.
Ryan now lives in Cape Town where he has a pretty cool job. One that gives him a rare birds-eye view of the
continent. When he’s away from home, he’s flying planes across the African continent with National Airways
Corporation. Ryan finds that traveling opens his mind to the possibilities of what can be achieved.
When asked how he uses learnings from Playing for Peace in his current job, Ryan feels explained, "Being a person
of colour in aviation and an anomaly in South Africa, my journey as a PeacePlayer has helped me navigate this
space greatly as I have experienced both in life and in technically dealing with conflict, the egos and people who
are often racist. I have practiced 'seeing people as people' daily, and through this approach, I've managed to break
down barriers between colleagues, become liked, favoured and also impart lessons I have learnt to make a positive
impact in their lives."
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PEACEPLAYERS SOUTH AFRICA STORYBOOK
