Lindenwood Magazine - Spring 2018: Connecting to Alumni and Friends

UNFORGETTABLE ODYSSEY SENDS ALUMNUS BIKING ACROSS SOUTH AMERICA by RACHEL JOHNSON Attempt. Excel. Transform. Repeat. That’s the mindset that’s guided Lindenwood University alumnus Ryan Griffin (’12, ’13) from one adventure to the next and recently led him on a personal quest to ride a bicycle across 9,000 miles of South American terrain. “My life has never felt average,” Griffin said. “I’ve learned to fight against the formula of what’s expected.” To understand where he was headed, you have to understand where he came from. A native of Sydney, Australia, Griffin came to the United States to play baseball for a junior college in Texas. Shortly thereafter, he was recruited by Coach Doug Bletcher to play for Lindenwood. During Griffin’s junior year, his season was cut short by an emergency appendectomy. He used his recovery time and the off-season to change his left-handed overhand style to a submarine-style. His new approach was a success. He was halfway through the next season before he gave up a single run. Academically, Griffin started college as a business administration major but soon switched his focus to marketing after taking a class with Lindenwood Professor David Arns. Griffin went on to become Lindenwood’s second-ever first-team Academic All-American and also earned the Joseph G. Mathews Award for graduating at the top of his marketing class. After earning his MBA, Griffin worked full-time as an account executive for a digital advertising firm in Australia. He quickly rose through the ranks, earning promotions to an executive-level position and managing a team of staff within three years of being hired. Then, seemingly all at once, life threw Griffin a few curveballs. He suffered a car accident, and, soon after, unrelated health issues required two separate surgical procedures. The aftermath had a devastating effect on him physically and mentally. “For 10 months, I was basically bedridden,” he said. “I’d become overweight and depressed,” Griffin said. “I was desperate for a new challenge.” Griffin quit his job, moved out of his apartment, sold most of his belongings, and found a riding partner. They bought bikes, packs, and camping gear and soon found themselves in Ushuaia, Argentina, a small town located at the southernmost tip of South America nicknamed “The End of the World.” “We picked out all the things we wanted to see: the Perito Merino glacier, Chile’s Carraterra Austral, Bolivia’s salt flats, and Machu Picchu,” Griffin said. “We just connected the dots from there and traveled north as our general travel map. Lindenwood University ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 12