Senior Finds Purpose After Leaving Track

By Charlie Nelles ’26

The passion that once drove Ryan Tipsord ’26 around the track has found a new home: raising money for cancer research and volunteering with individuals with Down syndrome

Tipsord is a senior at Brophy, in his second year at The Roundup. Having been at Brophy since freshman year he has been involved in many activities. Starting track and field as a freshman, he was then injured and forced out for the year, and after restarting sophomore year he felt he lost interest in running and left. After that, he picked up a passion for volunteering, working with individuals with Down syndrome and raising money for cancer. 

“I feel like I’m making a difference and all of the kids that I help,” Tipsord said. He is also driven to volunteer by personal loss. “I lost a grandma as a result of cancer,” said Tipsord. After losing passion in running, he has found a new one in service.

But Tipsord has gotten as much from service as he has given. “It’s also made me realize I feel like a lot of them are misunderstood,” said Tipsord . Volunteering and doing fundraising has helped him gain a greater understanding for those he works with, growing in his character and sympathy.