Former Grand Valley State University track and field athlete Chris Hammer won a gold medal Monday, Sept. 2 at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Hammer finished the Paralympic Triathlon (Paratriathlon) in just 58 minutes and 44 seconds.
The triathlon consisted of a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike race and a 5-kilometer foot race. Hammer started the race in eighth place during the swimming portion of the triathlon, but climbed to first place during the cycling section. He held onto the lead as he entered the running portion of the race, staying neck and neck with Brazil’s Ronan Cordeiro. With the American flag draped over his shoulders and his wife and children looking on from the sidelines, Hammer crossed the finish line, securing his first Olympic medal. Cordeiro came in second place, just 17 seconds behind Hammer.
Hammer placed fourth in the previous two Paralympic games held in Tokyo and Brazil. In an interview with the World Triathlon, Hammer attributed his motivation to win in Paris to his prior fourth-place finishes.
“Fourth is painful, (but) it keeps you in the sport,” said Hammer. “It was all part of the journey that led me here. I will look back on those fourth places fondly now.”
Hammer was a student athlete at GVSU from 2004 to 2008. During his time at the University, Hammer became a Track and Field Hall of Famer, received five All-American honors and took GVSU to nine cross-country titles. He was also awarded the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) Commissioner’s Award for demonstrating academic and sports excellence.
After graduating from GVSU, Hammer coached the women’s triathlon at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia. In 2022, he left coaching to pursue a full-time career as a Paralympian. Hammer made his debut at the London Paratriathlon, finishing the men’s 1,500-meter race in ninth place.
According to Britannica, the Paralympic Games are “a major international sports competition for athletes with disabilities.” The Paralympic Games feature many of the same events as the Olympics, but some of the equipment is modified to accommodate the athletes’ needs. Hammer was born with one hand, but that never stopped him from being able to play sports. From a young age, Hammer began taking an interest in sports, primarily basketball, ice hockey and long-distance running.
“Growing up, hockey was my favorite sport, being from Michigan, but I was comparably a much better runner,” said Hammer. “I loved to compete, so as I raced, the more I fell in love with it.”
In an interview with the National Collegiate Athletics Association, Hammer thanked GVSU for teaching him the “elite athlete mindset,” which he attributes to his success.
Dakota Francoeur is the intramural sports coordinator with Recreation and Wellness, a department in the Division of Student Affairs at GVSU. As a result of initiatives like the University’s adaptive intramural sports program, every athlete has the chance to thrive and succeed on an equal playing field. Francoeur said adaptive intramural sports are “recreational athletic activities that are specifically designed for individuals with disabilities, but are open to able-bodied individuals as well.”
“Individuals with disabilities face so many challenges every day, some that able-bodied people would never even be able to consider,” said Francoeur. “Chris Hammer is an excellent example of what it means to overcome those challenges.”
Francoeur said student athletes can learn from Hammer’s athletic accomplishments and his perseverance.
“If there is anything to take away from Chris Hammer’s story as a student-athlete, it would be to have resilience and determination when facing those tough challenges,” Francoeur said. “Embrace them, as overcoming every challenge will broaden your perspectives and experiences and encourage your personal growth.”
