Ride waxay ku dhalatay Los Angeles. Waxay lahayd hal walaal, Karen "Bear" Ride, oo ah wadaad Presbyterian ah. Labada waalid waxay ahaayeen odayaal kaniisadda Presbyterian. Ride hooyadeed waxay u shaqeysay sidii lataliye mutadawacnimo ah xarun haweenka oo wax ka beddeleysa. Aabaheed wuxuu ahaa macallin cilmiga siyaasadda ah oo ka tirsan Santa Monica College. Ride waxay dhigtay Portola Junior High (hadda Portola Middle School) ka dibna Birmingham High School ka hor inta aysan ka qalin jabin dugsiga gaarka loo leeyahay ee West School for Girls ee Los Angeles iyada oo deeq waxbarasho ah. Marka lagu daro xiisaha sayniska, waxay ahayd ciyaartoy tennis ah oo heer qaran ah. Ride waxay dhigtay Swarthmore College muddo saddex semesters ah, waxay qaadatay koorsooyin fiisikis ah oo ku yaal Los Angeles, California, waxayna gashay Jaamacadda Stanford, ka dibna waxay ka qalin jabisay shaha jaamacadda, iyada oo leh shahaadada bachelor-ka ee cilmi-baarista xiddigaha.
ciyaarta tennis-ka