Perhaps best known as the Firefighter who captured Trista's heart with poetry, good looks, humor, and a genuine personality on the inaugural season of The Bachelorette in 2002, Ryan is a 25+ year veteran of the fire service and spent time as a safety with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.  Ryan currently works for the Denver Fire Department but spent the first 17 years of his fire service career in Vail, Colorado.  Ryan and Trista are the proud parents of two kids, Max (18) and Blakesley (16) and a rescue mutt named Kota.  When they are not attending hockey games or dance competitions, the family enjoys the outdoor environment surrounding their home in Colorado.  Ryan is an avid mountain biker, backpacker, skier and snowboarder with an unrelenting love for the wilderness, travel, and good coffee.