World, Paralympic champion Chris Hammer '09 to address graduates at Fall Commencement

Chris Hammer ’09, a world and Paralympic champion and a 2022 inductee into GVSU Athletics’ Hall of Fame, will deliver the 2024 Fall Commencement address and share with graduates the life lessons he’s learned on his way to becoming a world-class athlete.

The 2024 Fall Commencement begins at 4 p.m. on December 7 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

Tickets are not required; however, due to capacity limitations, graduates are asked to be mindful of the number of their guests attending. A livestream of the event will be broadcast on GVSU’s Commencement website .

Hammer, a standout on the Lakers’ track and cross country teams, finished fourth in the PTS5 Para Triathlon at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics Games and the PT4 Para Triathlon at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, just missing a medal and a place on the podium. 

Those experiences fueled his motivation for this year’s Paris Games, he said, propelling him to become the first former or current Grand Valley student athlete to win a gold medal in Olympic or Paralympic competition . 

Reflecting on his time at Grand Valley, Hammer said he appreciates the valuable skills learned as a student athlete, both in training sessions and competitions, as well as in the classroom. 

Those skills, he said, have enabled him to stay focused while raising a family, obtaining advanced degrees beyond Grand Valley and training and competing to become a world and Paralympic champion in para triathlon. 

“Being part of the cross country and track teams really taught me that elite mindset and what it takes to be successful at tasks that are challenging,” Hammer said. “That didn't just impact my ability to be a successful athlete. That also impacted my ability to pursue anything with excellence.”

After graduating from Grand Valley with a bachelor’s degree in education, Hammer continued his academic path while maintaining his disciplined training regiment. He completed a master’s in sports administration from Eastern Washington University and an MBA and a doctorate in sports psychology from the University of Utah. 

He 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.

“Honestly, it caught me off guard when I got the email about the opportunity,” 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.”