The Story Of Ryse Williams: The Inspiration For The Creation Of The RMCRF
Ryse William's Story as Told By His Family
"Ryse Williams was a Southern California high school basketball standout. Named the Bay League Most Value Player in 2016 and 2017, he planned to attend Loyola Marymount University in the Fall of 2017. Ryse was as special a human being as he was a basketball player. His personality lit up the room like his skills lit up the court. He had signed a letter of intent to attend Loyola Marymount University to continue his love for the sport. His future was bright and shined for all who met him to see. But, his future was cut short by a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer known as Renal Medullary Carcinoma, taking his life just a day before graduation. By the time doctors discovered the tumor, it had already reached stage 4 and spread to other organs, which is typical in cases of this rare form of cancer which affects 1 in 20,000 to 30,000 people with the sickle cell trait. The mission of the RYSE Williams Charitable Foundation, Inc. is to motivate everyone to “Ryse Up” and spread awareness to find a cure." (The Ryse Williams Foundation)
Link to the Ryse Williams Foundation Website
Stories From Those Whose Lives Were Touched by Ryse
Alexander Wesley
Ryse was like a big brother. Ever since I was in middle school I spent every Friday night watching Ryse play, dreaming of being on the same court as him. When I finally met Ryse during my freshman year I was star struck to say the least. As a freshman he would kick my butt in practice, and at the time I was mad, but looking back I realize he was just trying to make me a better basketball player and a better person. My most vivid memory of Ryse was after he lost his last high school playoff game, he came up to me crying and said, " you will do great things one day, keep working." Ever since that day I have looked at life differently and whenever I feel down and hopeless I think about those words and continue fighting for my dreams.
Chimezie Maduno
To many, including myself, Ryse was a role model. He positively influenced the lives of those both older and younger than him through the determination and work ethic he showed. I was blessed to have spent a year playing and traveling with him on our high school basketball team. During our Las Vegas and Palm Springs tournaments, I had the opportunity to room with him, and got to know him for who he was aside from basketball. He had a unique personality and portrayed his passion for life both on and off the court. We all miss him dearly and should be inspired by his story to pursue life and its possibilities as fiercely as he did.
Elliot Cole
Ryse set the tone and expectation for players at every level of the Redondo Union Basketball program. For younger players like myself, he led by example. His will to give it his all every time he stepped on the court inspired me to do the same. Being able to play on the same court as him during scrimmages and pickup games allowed me to see his unrelenting will to win, which motivated everyone to compete even harder. If it wasn’t his attitude that influenced you, it was his silky-smooth game. The combination of his skill set and leadership on the court turned him into a player that every hooper in the Redondo Union program wanted to model themselves after. To this day, I keep Ryse in my thoughts as an example of how I want to positively impact people.