COLORADO SPRINGS — February 11th, 2022, was a sigh of relief for the former Air Force basketball captain, Ryan Swan, who finished up his final round of chemotherapy.
On this day, it would be hard to forget when he out the news.
"I remember this because it was my birthday," said Swan. " So at the start of April, I started having really bad headaches. It just progressively just got worse and worse."
Finding out Ryan was diagnosed with Brain Cancer wasn't the toughest challenge.
"I think the hardest part was telling my mom. It was a tough moment to tell her I might never see her again."
His best friend, also the woman who only missed four games throughout his entire college career, was his mother. A family support
system that his former teammates remember vividly.
"His mom and his grandma would go out to Wyoming," said senior guard Aj Walker. "They find ways to go watch Swan. I think his support system is out of this world."
Number 34 made his time at Air Force count. When it came to basketball, Ryan played in all 32 games as a senior surpassing over 1,000 career points. In addition to being
a dominating force on the court, Ryan's leadership left a huge impact.
"I think Swan keeps it real all the time. He's just an energetic dude. There's never a dull moment with Swan."
Even during chemo, the Air Force alum found a way to look at the glass half full.
"As crazy as it sounds, all circumstances considered. It's been a positive thing in my life."
Going back to the start, Ryan was a kid in Aurora who accepted the opportunity to serve his country and play basketball.
