Chris Hammer grew up playing sports. Despite missing his left hand, the Michigan native played ice hockey through high school, as well as baseball, basketball and soccer as a teenager.
Hammer added distance running to the mix in high school. It's a decision that led him to become an NCAA All-American and Paralympian in multiple events, most recently in triathlon at the 2020 Paralympics. To top it off, he's also now the triathlon head coach at Davis & Elkins.
Hammer's journey to this point started when he was a self-described "good but not great" high school distance runner who went on to run at Grand Valley State, only after his mother initiated an unofficial campus visit. He quickly found himself flourishing under the guidance of head coach Jerry Baltes and assistant Joel Linn.
"If you're in college, you're still pursuing a degree and you have a lot more autonomy to do other things," Hammer said. "But you also have the autonomy to really dedicate and sacrifice to your sport. So having a group of like-minded individuals, all trying to get the best out of themselves, and to be the best they can be, it's contagious."
Hammer embraced excellence and rigorous training at Grand Valley State, becoming a five-time NCAA Division II All-American. However, it was not until later in his college career that Hammer had a chance encounter while running at a meet at Washington. There, he was approached by Joaquim Cruz, the former 800-meter world record holder and 1984 Olympic gold medalist who was coaching the U.S. Paralympic track and field team at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. Cruz told him his left arm impairment would qualify him for Paralympic competition.
Hammer initially was hesitant about participating in the Paralympics. He graduated from Grand Valley State in 2009 and taught middle school math for a year but knew that he wanted to remain connected to sports. He followed his then-fiance to Eastern Washington, where she studied to be a physical therapist and Hammer worked as a graduate assistant with the track and field program while continuing to train and earn a master's degree in physical education.
By 2011, Hammer debuted for the U.S. Paralympic track and field team at the world championships. His persistent interest in sports performance also brought him to study at Utah, where he began his Ph.D. in sports psychology, melding his academic interests with a budding international athletics career.
It was not until he saw the level of competitiveness in Paralympic sports firsthand that Hammer found his spark. He qualified for the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the 1,500 meters and the marathonbut by his own admission could have performed better in London: "I wasn't in the best position I could be in to compete just because I think I was too consumed by the spectacle of the games rather than the races."
On the way back from the White House after the London Games, Hammer first contacted Amanda Duke with the U.S. Paralympic Triathlon team. As a runner, he was beset by a series of injuries but still possessed competitive drive. He introduced himself to Duke and hoped his years of aerobic conditioning would translate to a new sport: triathlon.
Hammer's biggest challenge involved learning to swim competitively for the first time at age 27. He recalled fondly an open water swim off the coast of San Diego early in his triathlon training when he had to revert to an earlier skill — his sport phycology training — to control his breathing and complete the exercise.
"I wasn't going to quit after I just started," he said. "So I really had to dig in my heels, and I kept working. If I would have stopped, then I would have missed out on so many opportunities in the sport that I absolutely love."
In 2018, Hammer began coaching the triathlon program at Davis & Elkins in West Virginia, earningUSA Triathlon NCAA Division II Coach of the Yearhonors in 2019 and a second-placenational finish that year. Women's triathlon is an NCAA emerging sport, and Hammer has had to build his program alongside added complications from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's a way for me to give back to the sport that has given me so much," he said. "It's a job; I get paid. It's not like I'm volunteering to build a collegiate program and coach, but it's one way I believe that I can give back to the sport."
All the while, Hammer continued to train for his own international triathlon competitions, repeating as PTS5 triathlon world championship bronze medalist in 2019.
After contemplating retirement following a fourth-place finish at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, Hammer continued to work on his weaknesses, particularly the swim portion of the triathlon. Juggling intense training with his full-time job coaching and his family, he knew he was training less than his peers. Still, he nearly managed to medal once again, falling about 6 seconds short of reaching the podium.
Reflecting on his most recent international competition, Hammer was somber but grateful for the continued growth he has had as an athlete and person. If there is one thing Hammer has learned from his years as an athlete and coach, it has been the value of putting oneself in a position to succeed. It's a lesson he tries to instill in his student-athletes, who can learn from his journey.
"Follow your dreams," he said. "It makes me appreciate everything so much more. The process, the daily training, and then the opportunities to race against incredible competition. Don't be afraid to take a chance on yourself. Don't be afraid to take chances and put yourself out there and bet on yourself. I've been so lucky that so many people have supported me along the way, but I don't think I've necessarily been one to bet on myself. I've taken the safe route. It hasn't been until recently that I really started to get out of my comfort zone. I think it's paid off. These opportunities don't come around often."