Born in Chesapeake, Virginia, Ryan Blackwell’s family moved to North Carolina when he was six years old.

He started wrestling when he was in elementary school and enjoyed a stellar high school career, winning 172 matches, qualifying for the state tournament four times, and capturing state titles in 2009 and 2010.

After graduating from Croatan High School, Blackwell wrestled for five years at the University of North Carolina Pembroke and was a two-year starter, a two-time NCAA Academic All-American, and the 2013 Male Athlete of the year for the Braves.

After graduating with a degree in exercise and sports science, he enlisted in the United States Navy in 2017 on a Warrior Challenge Program contract and began special forces training immediately after completing boot camp.

During his training, Blackwell suffered severe injuries that included a drowning where he was resuscitated back to life and a shattered wrist requiring reconstructive surgery. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was to medically retire from the Navy.

While Blackwell was awaiting his retirement, he worked for 18 months in an administrative position at the Naval Aviation Schools Command, working with the International Military Training Office at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

On the morning of December 6, 2019, a gunman opened fire at the Pensacola base, the first terrorist attack on US soil by a foreign national since September 11, 2001. During the shooting, Blackwell shielded two fellow service members from gunfire and was shot six times. Despite life-threatening injuries and a paralyzed right arm, he managed to remove an air conditioning unit from a window and helped his colleagues, both of whom were injured, escape to safety. His heroism continued during transport to the hospital by a local sheriff’s deputy as he provided first aid to another shooting victim while enroute to the hospital.

For his actions, Blackwell received the Purple Heart for Valor and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism by the Navy.

Blackwell’s recovery from the shooting was long and painful, requiring multiple surgeries and months of being unable to move without help from his wife.

During his recovery he reflected on how wrestling and his life experiences had molded him and, one year after the shooting, he opened his own gym.

As the owner of “Well Trained Wrestling and Fitness” located in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Blackwell coaches wrestling and works to instill the values of discipline, patience, and determination into others.