Ryan uses tennis as tool to spread cancer awareness

CHENNAI: Those closely following the Tour will be well aware of the challenges British tennis player Ryan Peniston is facing on court – the 27-year-old from Essex is currently placed 147 in the ATP singles rankings and is yet to break into the top-100.

But, how many outside his homeland know that he bravely won an off-court battle at the tender age of two? Ryan was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that affects soft tissues, when he was just one year old.

The Briton subsequently underwent extensive treatment at the St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London to remove the tumour near his stomach. Ryan overcame “a tough start to life” to get to where he is today and is using tennis as a tool to spread awareness about cancer.

“I had cancer as a child. Thanks to a lot of good people and support, I was able to come through it,” Ryan, the fourth seed in the Chennai Open Challenger singles main draw, told DT Next ahead of his first training session here on Monday.

“Now, I am a professional tennis player. I am also an ambassador for a charity in England called Young Lives vs Cancer. It is a great charity; they help a lot of people, they help a lot of kids who have cancer. I am just trying to get the word out and spread some awareness… trying to help raise money for the cause,” Ryan said.

Ryan stressed that he strives to inspire people around him, through either his on-court fighting ability or encouraging work on social media. “Just to get the idea that there are people who are going through some bad things. If you can help them in any way, it is good for everyone. And yeah, there is a lot of good that can come out of it,” he added.

Project with Young Lives vs Cancer charity

Ryan, who donated his first ITF title prize money to the hospital which treated him, said that the association with Young Lives vs Cancer is close to his heart. “We contact and communicate all the time. I am always looking for things that I can share to help spread the word. So yeah, it is a fun project.”