GVSU athletes shine on global stage -

STORY BY BRIAN VERNELLIS

Chris Hammer’s list of athletic achievements is extensive: a four-time track and field All-American and a 2007 All-American in cross country at GVSU, a 2021 Para Triathlon world champion and a 2022 inductee into the Lakers Hall of Fame. Visit his Instagram page and his bio proudly lists he’s also a member of the Rockford Corner Bar’s Hall of Fame for eating chili dogs.

Chris Hammer ’09 lifts the U.S. flag as he crosses the finish line to win the PTS5 Para Triathlon at the Paris Paralympic Games in September. Hammer became the first former or current Grand Valley athlete to win an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal. Joe Kusumoto/Team USA

Chris Hammer ’09 lifts the U.S. flag as he crosses the finish line to win the PTS5 Para Triathlon at the Paris Paralympic Games in September. Hammer became the first former or current Grand Valley athlete to win an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal. Joe Kusumoto/Team USA

Gastronomic accomplishments aside, his latest update came this summer: Paralympic champion.

Hammer ’09 became the first former or current Grand Valley athlete to win an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal when he finished first in the men’s PTS5 Para Triathlon at the Paris Games.

At his previous two Paralympics — Rio de Janeiro (2016) and Tokyo (2020) — he finished fourth, just missing out on a medal and a place on the podium. But in Paris, he sensed this year’s race would be different, he said.

“It was on the bike where I could see I was making up ground and actually was in a better position than I typically am at a major race,” said Hammer, who was born with an underdeveloped left hand. “Then coming off the bike when I saw I was running with the lead pack, that's when the goal shifted from a podium finish to the gold medal.”

As he rounded the final turn and headed toward the finish line on the Paris landmark, the Pont Alexandre III, he looked over his shoulders for signs of his nearest competitor.

“It's not over until you cross the line, but I did get to enjoy the final few minutes and was confident that I was going to win,” Hammer said. “That was a pretty surreal experience.”

Hammer said he was in Spain competing at the World Triathlon Championship Finals, where he finished as the top American and placed fourth overall, when he received an email from Grand Valley, extending an invitation to speak at Commencement.

The Fall Commencement weekend was a whirlwind for him. Not only did he speak to 2024 graduates, but his former coach, Jerry Baltes, and the track team recognized him in front of a packed house during GVSU’s Holiday Open, the opening meet of the Lakers’ indoor track season that draws competitors from the Midwest.

“Honestly, it caught me off guard when I got the email about Commencement,” Hammer said. “It’s an honor and something that you never picture yourself doing, especially when you were the one sitting at Van Andel Arena for graduation 15 years ago.”

Chris Hammer on bicycle with helmet in Paris race, wearing biking uniform

Chris Hammer ’09 zips through Paris during the cycling stage of the PTS5 Para Triathlon at the 2024 Paralympic Games in September. 'It was on the bike where I could see I was making up ground and actually was in a better position than I typically am at a major race,' Hammer said. Joe Kusumoto/Team USA

Olympic dream come true

Hammer wasn’t the only athlete with GVSU connections competing at the Olympic or Paralympic level.

Esteban Nuñez Del Prado joined the men’s swimming and diving team this season after competing for his home country, Bolivia, in the 200-meter individual medley at the Paris Olympic Games.

“It was incredible and something that I had dreamed all my life to be there,” Nuñez Del Prado said. “I think you don’t realize where you were until you leave, because it was incredible being there.

“Every day, I’d wake up and say, ‘Whoa, I’m in the Olympics.’”

Esteban Nuñez Del Prado smiles in pool with GVSU teammates.

Esteban Nuñez Del Prado. Photo by Kendra Stanley-Mills

His road to Allendale began through a series of texts with junior Raul Briceno. A mutual friend suggested he contact Briceno about joining the Lakers’ swimming and diving team.

“Raul was really helpful,” Nuñez Del Prado said. “He told me I had to come (to GVSU) and explained how the team, the school and the training were amazing. He said to contact (swimming head coach Andy Boyce), and he was very helpful as well.”

In fact, it didn’t take long for Nuñez Del Prado to agree to join the Lakers after a couple of Zoom calls.

“He had been looking to come to the States, and it’s a small swimming community sometimes,” Boyce said. “It worked out perfect for us.”

His experience swimming the 200-meter individual medley makes Nuñez Del Prado a versatile asset for the Lakers, Boyce said.

Nuñez Del Prado is already making an impact with the Lakers. He broke the school record in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of (:53.59) in a meet against Oakland University on November 9. He also won the 100-yard butterfly event and finished second in the 200-yard individual medley.

For his performance, he was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s Men’s Swimmer of the Week.

“He can do any event,” Boyce said. “It’s nice to see that he can do almost any distance 200 meters and under and almost any stroke at 200 meters or under.

Global talent helps power
Lakers’ swimming success

Esteban Nuñez Del Prado of Bolivia is not the only international student athlete competing for the Laker men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams. In fact, both teams boast a diverse roster, with swimmers from around the globe.

Nearly 30 percent of the combined rosters are international student athletes, hailing from countries as far away as Malaysia and Australia.

Head coach Andy Boyce said that his staff prioritizes recruiting the best talent, regardless of geographic location.

“Each international student is different as they come from many different cultures and we are always learning new things about them and their cultures,” Boyce said. “Most haven’t had a combination of school and sport together before. They enjoy the camaraderie of the team that they may not have had back home.

“Most times international swimmers just swim on a club that is completely separate from their school and it is a very individualized sport. In the United States, they get the true team atmosphere.”