Feature Story by Danielle McCarthy, Director of Athletic Communications
All photos courtesy of Ryan Outerbridge 

When 21-year-old Ryan Outerbridge (Paget, Bermuda) steps to the starting line at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships this Saturday in Sacramento, California, he'll be competing with more than just his competitors on the course. He'll be running against the memory of a day in October 2021 that he almost didn't survive—a day he still can't fully remember. 

For Ryan, first and foremost, is a proud Bermudian. That pride has shaped his journey, anchored his resilience, and defined his approach to every challenge—on the course and in life. It's a pride that has inspired his teammates and his coach, Zach Emerson, who says Ryan's toughness is unmatched. "Where are you from?" became more than a question for Ryan during his toughest moments; it became a rallying cry. It was a reminder of who he was and what he stood for. 

"It's a question that challenges you to meet the moment, refuse to back down, and show what you're made of," says Emerson. And to that question, Ryan always screams the same thing, pounding his chest with unshakable confidence: "BERMUDA!" 

This pride and grit were never more evident than in October 2021, during a seemingly routine cross country meet at the Lewis Crossover in Chicago. As a freshman runner at Franklin Pierce University, he was eager to make an impression and pushed himself hard in the competitive regular-season event. But the day ended with him waking up on the ground, disoriented and surrounded by worried teammates and emergency personnel. "When it first happened, I didn't even know what had happened," he recalls. "I remember waking up on the ground, not much else. The whole ride to the hospital was blurry, in and out of consciousness." 

As he lay in the hospital, questions started flooding his mind: How'd the team do? Did I finish? He would later learn he had, somehow, completed the race—but he had no memory of crossing the finish line. The proof was only in the official results. 

Ryan spent the next few days undergoing extensive tests while his teammates traveled back to campus. It wasn't until the day Ryan was discharged that he realized the extent of what had happened earlier that week. When he was finally shown his medical release form, he was told jokingly, "You can tell everyone you're an 18-year-old heart attack survivor." He remembers the disbelief, saying, "Why would I tell people that?" His mother, too, was in disbelief; he was the only teenager on the hospital's cardiology floor that week.

As Ryan traveled back to Rindge, it was a quiet period of processing the surreal fact that he had not just completed a race but had somehow survived a cardiac event in the middle of it. Even today, Ryan struggles to talk about it openly. "It's a pretty traumatizing period of my life," he admits. "I make jokes about it now and then, but it's a cover-up of how big of a deal it really was." 

Returning to campus was just the beginning of a long journey back. His first collegiate cross-country season was over, and for the next two weeks, he wore a heart monitor. There would be no running, no active training, and no guarantee that he would compete again. But by the end of January 2022, Ryan was cleared to return to the track. His first race back was an indoor 800-meter event at Boston University, where he ran well, even helping his team earn medals in relays at the NE10 Conference Indoor Championships later that season.  

Reflecting on that comeback season, Ryan says, "It was like night and day, what can change in a year." From barely being able to move without a heart monitor to finishing among the region's best, he was beginning to realize the scale of what he had achieved. 

By 2024, Outerbridge was back in full force, collecting three conference gold medals in the 1500, 4x800, and steeplechase. The victories weren't just for him—they were for the "Goat Squad," the team he started with in 2020, now running their final races together. "We came in together," he says with pride. "What we achieved as a class was one of the best feelings I've ever had." As he crossed the finish line in those championship races, emotions overcame him. The journey from the cardiology floor to the top of the podium was complete, and for the first time, he let himself feel the depth of what he had overcome. 

This season, Ryan has been competing on a team that has graduated many of its strongest members. At the NCAA DII East Region Championships, the team finished fourth, just shy of qualification for nationals. But Ryan never wavered, pushing himself through the race. "I knew I had a shot qualifying as an individual," he recalls. "If I found myself not there, my goal was to do what I could to put the team in the best position possible."

Now, with just days before the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships, Ryan is realizing a dream that was once clouded in hospital visits and heart monitors. The reality of racing at this level isn't lost on him. "Running has been my passion since I was seven or eight years old," he says. "It's hard to speak up about what happened, but running on this stage—it's what I always wanted." 

Through every race, Ryan holds onto the determination that has defined his life since that unforgettable day in 2021. "Looking back," he says quietly, "words can't even explain how I feel. To see where I've come in my collegiate career—it's something I carry with me every time I step on the course." As he heads to Sacramento, his story is more than a race. It's a testament to resilience, the power of a dream, and the incredible heart that keeps him running.