Ryan DeLena and his dad Rob join Hersh to talk about labels, limits, and the true realization of potential on this episode of Truth Tastes Funny. When Ryan DeLena was five years old, he was placed in a therapeutic school that relied on detrimental methods of behavior modification such as physical restraint. He was heavily medicated and four years later, was voluntarily committed to a mental hospital for further evaluation. His parents Rob and Mary Beth were counseled to place him in a group home. They refused. Today, Ryan is the youngest person to ski tour in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, having completed expeditions in Antarctica (2018), Svalbard (2022), and Baffin Island (2023). He was featured on the cover of Backcountry Ski Maps, and he’s climbed and skied peaks in Chile, Argentina, Oregon, Washington, and more. He graduated from Vermont State University in 2024.

When he’s not on skis, Ryan is an enthusiastic rock climber, ice climber, and avid hiker, summiting the Grand Teton twice and completing the “Hundred Highest” hiking peaks in New England.

Connect with Ryan:

Website - https://ryandelena.com/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkxyySYYWjELdMUwMi-A18A Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/extreme_ryan_delena/

(0:00) Ryan DeLena's early struggles, love for skiing, and introduction by Hersh Rephun (2:00) Ryan and Rob DeLena join the podcast, discussing early school challenges (5:02) Ryan's behavior, impact of therapeutic school, and Rob's perspective (8:10) The negative impact of therapeutic schools, medication, and skiing as a positive outlet (17:39) Transitioning out of therapeutic schools, finding agency, and societal pressures (23:08) Reflections on parental guilt, the role of doctors and educators (25:18) Discussing diagnoses, labels, and ADHD (27:45) Overcoming diagnoses and reclaiming self-perception (31:32) Future plans, upcoming adventures, and advice for non-conformists (35:59) Parental perspective, personal growth, and concluding thoughts