Bryan Fletcher: cancer survivor, Olympian and now physicians assistant

Bryan Fletcher, his brother Taylor and their USA Nordic teammates representing USA at the winter Olympic Games. Photo: Bryan Fletcher

HEBER CITY, Utah. — Beginning in August, Park City Hospital Emergency Room Physicians Assistant Student is merely the latest title Bryan Fletcher will be known by. Olympian is a biggie too but perhaps one nomenclature with the deepest meaning is childhood cancer survivor.

Being born and raised in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and attending high school at the the Winter Sports School in Park City helped Fletcher become a two-time Olympian in the winter sport of nordic combined. Fletcher retired from competition after placing sixth in the team even in the Sochi 2014 Games and tenth in the Team event in the PyeongChang 2018 Games.

Pursuing a medical career has brought Fletcher through Westminster College in Salt Lake City and Utah State University to his most recent academic achievement from Provo’s Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals. On July, 9 He went through the highly symbolic and ceremonious White Coat Ceremony (WCC). “Our WCC is appropriately held at the end of our didactic year where my classmates and I will be transitioning from didactic medicine to clinical medicine and working with real patients.”

“In the midst of the pandemic, it’s been a pretty interesting journey thus far,”

said Fletcher about his life-long learning transition. “I will always be reviewing and learning new information as it comes out to ensure that my breadth of knowledge and skill mastery is always expanding. So I guess I am not leaving anything behind but instead starting a new journey where I get to apply the knowledge and skills I have gained while continuing to grow alongside my future patients.”

Living with his wife and children in Heber, he started his Masters in Physician Assistant Studies in May of 2020 and is on track to graduate in August 2022.

His many years living, working and playing in Park City had Fletcher delivering food for Main Street’s Red Banjos Pizza where photographs of him still hang today inspiring the youngest generation of nordic combined athletes like Donovan Toly.

Diagnosed with Leukemia while he was a child, Fletcher has remained involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Utah (LLS) which will hold the fourth annual Shred for Red, on December 4. Fletcher said, “The event is amazing, and I feel lucky to be on the organizing committee with some brilliant people who work tirelessly to make it a success. The event is a blast, with mountain challenges, food, drinks, Olympians and great skiing at Deer Valley Resort, there is really nothing more you can ask for on the opening weekend. Even better is the event is for a great cause. The LLS funds research for all kinds of blood cancers and lymphomas and has been very successful in advancing the cancer treatment front.”

Penny Fletcher, Bryan’s mother said, “I can’t imagine a better person to care for another. Bryan has empathy for others and he also believes that as a human we all has choices and he wants to make sure that anyone is fully aware of what they might be. Above all, Bryan’s family are the most important aspect of his life.”

Speaking of his family, his wife, Nikki, also works at the Park City Hospital as highlighted below pictured in this post from the Hospital.

Fletcher’s younger brother, Taylor, a three-time Olympian himself, currently jumps and skis for USA Nordic.

He expressed his support in the post below.

Their father passed away two years ago.