[2] Coming from Adelaide, South Australia, Ryan attended the Catholic Mount Carmel College[citation needed], before moving to the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, in 1993 after being awarded a scholarship.

In 1996, at the Atlanta Olympics, she came sixth in the 100-metre freestyle, and was a member of the 4×100-metre medley relay along with Susie O'Neill, Samantha Riley and Nicole Stevenson, which claimed silver behind the United States team.

The year 2002 broke another drought, with Ryan being part of a 4×100-metre freestyle team alongside Jodie Henry, Alice Mills and Thomas, which defeated the Americans for the first time since 1956.

Ryan swam in the heats, but was replaced in the final by Thomas, who combined with Henry, Mills and Libby Lenton to claim gold in a world record time of 3min 35.94 seconds.

[citation needed] Ryan now works for Mater Dei, an organization that provides early intervention therapy services and education for babies, children and young people with an intellectual disability or developmental delay.