Tricia Downing
USA Pistol Shooting & Triathlon
Ryan Brown
USA Swimming
Brandon Lyons
USA Paracycling
Imagine — a new EY employee has just registered for his first marathon when a shallow dive changes the course of his life. A college swim team captain expects to move on to his professional career in consulting, but a global pandemic gives him a chance to get back in the water. A lifelong competitive cyclist experiences a transformative injury and finds a new sport, new inspiration, and new ways to win.
Meet three of EY's 22 Olympians and Paralympians, who balance training at the elite level while building their careers at EY – where we believe that when obstacles are overcome, character is revealed.
Tricia Downing
EY Senior Associate, Core Business Services
Home base: Denver, Colorado
Sports: Para-triathlons, cycling, pistol shooting
Tricia was a competitive cyclist before her spinal cord injury in 2000. Since then, she has completed over 100 marathons and triathlons, was the first female paraplegic to complete an Ironman triathlon and has qualified for the Hawaii Ironman twice. Tricia competed in pistol shooting at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Athletics was the thing that brought me back from my injury, physically, mentally and emotionally. It gave me the agility to come back after my accident.
Ryan Brown
EY Staff, Business Consulting
Home base: New York, New York
Sport: Swimming
Ryan was the men’s swim team captain his senior year at Cornell University and competed in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 400 individual medley across his four appearances at the Ivy League Championships from 2017 to 2020. He posted the third-fastest time in Cornell history in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke and was part of the school-record-holding relay in the 400 individual medley. He qualified to compete in the US Olympic swimming trials in June 2021. Ryan joined EY in 2020 in the Business Consulting practice.
Not letting failures deter you from your overall goal — being able to accept and move forward — is a great skill to develop.
Brandon Lyons
EY Senior Associate, Consulting
Home base: Jacksonville, Florida
Sports: Paracycling
Brandon had just joined EY when he sustained a spinal injury in 2014 while diving into the ocean during a holiday weekend with friends. He returned to work full-time and completed his first marathon just five months after his injury. Brandon was awarded a spot at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Centre in 2017, the first hand cyclist in the program. He made his first national team in 2019.
That first marathon was really about proving to myself that if I am going to be able to accomplish this just five months after being hurt, then I am going to be able to accomplish anything.
