'The man of the family': Longtime Lighthouse resident known for upbeat attitude

 Ryan Trout knows firsthand that life can be unfair, but he’s never let it hold him back.

One just has to look at all the gold medals in his room to know that.

The 41-year old developmentally disabled Trout has competed in the Special Olympics for most of his life, and among his accomplishments is a victory at the 1989 International Winter Games in Reno-Lake Tahoe.

Sports are Trout’s life. The Lighthouse Christian Home resident is passionate about athletics from sunup to quite literally when he has to call the cows home.

Skiing and basketball are his preferred sports.

“In skiing I just dominated, man,” Trout said. “I won three golds last year. I just dominated.”

On his wall at the Lighthouse home near Somers he has dozens of medals, including the framed gold for his ski team at the Reno-Tahoe event when he was a teenager. The giant slalom is he favorite event.

But when snow isn’t on the ground, he shoots hoops daily after his chores on the farm are done.

“I go practice shooting around,” Trout said. “I get in shape for basketball. I’m a 3-point guy.”

Kirt Taylor, coach of the Lighthouse Eagles, who are scheduled for several tournaments in the coming months, including a state tournament in Great Falls, said Trout can turn on a switch from motivated to not.

“He’s a great ball player,” Taylor said. “He practices hard. It takes a little bit to get him going, but when he’s rebounding and putting the ball back he’s very effective. He’s really into it, he’s so fun to watch.”

Fittingly for his last name, he has several fishing rods around the room as well.

“I keep rainbow trout,” he said. “Those are fun to catch.”

Trout moved into the Lighthouse 13 years ago. He is one of the facility’s longest residents. Born with Fragile X Syndrome, Trout comes up somewhere on the autistic spectrum.

Because of that, he is shy at first and doesn’t make much eye contact. But his passion for life rubs off quickly. He is caring and loves his family.

He recently went to watch his cousin play football for the Columbia Falls Wildcats. 

“Whenever I go to his games, he does very well,” Trout said. “They’re doing very well. I go to Flathead games sometimes too, but they don’t win very much.”

Win or lose, Trout, a 1991 Flathead High graduate, is a Braves fan.

As for other family, he spends time with his twin sister Anne, who is also a resident of the Lighthouse home. His parents live in Whitefish.

Basketball, fishing and skiing are just some of his pastimes, as he plays bass guitar (Trout is a big fan of Steve Curtis Chapman), loves rodeo and playing baseball.

Jena Willis, now a Freshman at University of Nevada-Reno, coaches the Lighthouse baseball team in the summer. She said Trout is one of her most enthusiastic players.

“He is just filled with love of the game,” Willis said. “The outcome doesn’t matter, he just likes to be out there. Anything he can do to get the others into the game, he does. He really brings life to everything he does.”

Willis’ mother, Shirley, is the director of the Lighthouse home and has been working with Trout for all the time he has been there.

More than just his athletics, she said the Flathead native leads a wholesome life, and it shows.

“You can rarely go into the community and Ryan does not know anybody,” Willis said. “He praises God on a regular basis. He is just the man of the family and sits at the head of the table.”

Trout, in spite of his disability, is a warming, friendly presence and loves to talk to people about his passions. Chief among these is working with his fellow residents. Whether that is walking the cow fences every morning or tending the animals to leading the team to victories in the many sports he plays, cooperation is important to Trout.

“We’re all a team in this,” he said. “You don’t hog the ball. You pass it, and if you are open, you take your shot.”

He was talking about basketball, but it’s clear that’s also his philosophy in life.

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.