Chris Hammer

4x Paralympian
Paralympic Gold Medalist
World Champion
Sport Psychology PhD, MBA

Athlete. Coach. Speaker.

• About
• Photos/Videos
• Speaking
• Coaching
• Consulting
• Contact

• Instagram
• Facebook
• X
• Email

© Chris Hammer. All rights reserved.

My Triathlon Journey

I was born with one hand. Technically, my entire left arm is underdeveloped - but it’s easier to just say, I have one hand. From an early age, I was taught that this was never an excuse - not to avoid challenges, and certainly not to do anything halfway. With that expectation made clear, I did anything and everything I wanted to do. Sometimes adaptation was in order, but where there is a will, there is a way. Growing up, I absolutely loved playing sports, with ice hockey taking up my winters and baseball my summers throughout my youth. But my real talent was in distance running.I ran cross-country and track at Grand Valley State University, a large Division II school in West Michigan, where I became a five-time All-American. Toward the end of my college career, a Team USA Para Track coach approached me. At the time, I didn’t even know Para Sport existed, and to be honest, I was hesitant. I had never let my impairment define me—so why would I pursue a sport that, by definition, was built around it?But with some encouragement from coaches, teammates, and friends, I decided to give it a shot. I qualified for the 2012 London Paralympic Games and was immediately blown away—not just by the scale of the event, with its massive media coverage and roaring crowds, but by the level of competition. I had assumed I must be the fastest one-handed person in the world. I was wrong. I got my butt kicked in London.After those Games, I saw that triathlon would be added to the Paralympics for the first time in Rio 2016. I had no background in the sport, but I reached out to the Team USA Paratriathlon performance director, introduced myself, and expressed my interest. Long story short—it took time, but I took to triathlon quickly. Well enough to qualify for my second Paralympic Games in Rio. There, I finished in 4th place. Just off the podium. The hardest place to finish in all of sport.With extra motivation, I committed to finally achieving my Paralympic podium dream in Tokyo 2020. But then, COVID shut down the world, pushing the Games back to 2021. Still, I arrived in the best shape of my life, ready to make it happen. And once again, I finished in 4th place. Just seconds off the podium.So, if you're keeping track—I had now competed in three Paralympics and finished 4th at the last two. My next (and likely final) opportunity would be the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. But I would be 38 years old. Past my prime.So my family and I made a decision: if I was going to do this, I was going all in. My dad always said, If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. I was giving Paris everything I had—and then some. And because of that commitment, the sacrifices of so many, and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence, I finally stood on top of the podium at the Paris Paralympic Games.

• Back