Austin Hatch

Two-Time Plane Crash Survivor, Former College Athlete & Inspirational Speaker

In the first 27 years of his life, Austin Hatch has survived two separate plane crashes, leaving him with the tremendous loss of his immediate family, as well as a severe list of injuries that nearly took his life. When he came out of a 2-month long coma after the second plane crash, he had to relearn basic life skills such as walking and talking. He made the decision that he was going to find a way to fulfill his dream of playing basketball at the University of Michigan—which he did. Instead of choosing to dwell on his circumstances, Austin has decided to share his life experiences with others, providing a variety of organizations with a message of overcoming adversity, grit and hope. Austin now is a full-time motivational speaker, and lives with his wife Abby in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  • Austin Hatch Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type

    $30,001 - $40,000

  • Languages Spoken

    English

  • Austin Hatch Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type

    $30,001 - $40,000

  • Languages Spoken

    English

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About Keynote Speaker Austin Hatch

My story is one of tragedy, incomprehensible loss and triumph.

On Labor Day of 2003, my family and I were flying from northern Michigan to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. As we were preparing to land, the aircraft crashed and burst into flames. My dad threw me out of the plane to save my life. He went back into the flames to get my mom, Julie, my sister, Lindsay, and brother, Ian, but tragically, was unable to. My mom, sister and brother did not survive. My dad and I grieved the loss of our family members but we found ways to keep living in the midst of the incomprehensible pain. We pushed each other to overcome, as we knew my mom, sister and brother would’ve wanted.

Eventually, my dad met a lovely woman named Kimberley, who had three kids of her own. They got married and together, we formed a wonderful blended family. Meanwhile, I worked hard on my basketball skills and began to have success on the court. My dream was to play for The University of Michigan. On June 15, 2011, Coach Beilein offered me a full scholarship to play basketball for The University of Michigan, which I accepted. It was a dream come true.

Nine days later, on June 24th, 2011, my father and “second mother” were flying to Northern Michigan to have a weekend of celebration. As we were preparing to land, the aircraft crashed, and my dad and second mom were killed on impact. I suffered severe injuries and was nearly killed myself. After being in a coma for over two months, I had to relearn how to walk, talk and basically how to live my life. With the help of many incredible doctors, nurses, therapists, my family and friends, I made a great comeback to take the place at The University of Michigan that coach Beilein held open for me.

Ten years later, I am a graduate of The University of Michigan and am a full time motivational speaker with a message about Grit & Thriving in the midst of adversity. I consider myself blessed to be in a position to add value to organizations across the country. My message is about my journey from a coma, to a wheelchair to playing for Michigan. Yes a lot of things had to happen to achieve my goal, but more than anything, it took some Grit.

A lot of people have talked about Grit recently, Grit seems like a good trait for both people and for organizations to possess. It has been said that Grit is working hard for a long period of time. Grit is about consistency over the long term, not just intensity in the short term. That’s true, but how can we apply Grit to our daily lives? How can we use this idea to help us, not merely survive adversity, but thrive in the midst of adversity? How can we use Grit to help us achieve any goal we set for ourselves and for our organizations? I believe the following definition applies to, not only overcoming adversity, but to accomplishing any goal, as well.

There are four key components to Grit, but I believe Grit is driven by having a Greater Purpose for why we do what we do. If we are working just for ourselves, it is very likely that we will eventually face some form of adversity that will cause us to give up because we don’t have a driving force for why we do what we do. If we are working for something bigger than ourselves, I believe we will always do what it takes to get the job done, no matter the task and no matter the circumstances. Our Purpose drives Grit.

Growth Mindset, the first component of Grit. The Growth Mindset views every setback, every failure, every adversity, is an opportunity. Adversity is opportunity in disguise. Even when we inevitably fall short of a goal, the Growth Mindset does not believe that is a permanent condition. We can use it as an opportunity to get better. Adversity does not define us. Adversity can refine us if we approach it with the Growth Mindset. The event will not be a source of growth, but I believe we can grow from how we choose to respond.

Resilience, the second component of Grit. If we make the decision to be Resilient, we take Massive Action in the face of adversity. It took Massive Action to go from a coma to playing for Michigan. I believe achieving our goals in the midst of challenges is the result of taking Massive Action, consistently. Integrity, the third component of Grit. In the context of overcoming adversity, or working to achieve any goal, I believe Integrity is about following through on our commitments, especially when our circumstances change. Integrity is doing the common things in an uncommon way, consistently.

The result of doing the common things in an uncommon way is we will leave people and places better than we found them.

The Team First Mentality is the final component of Grit. I believe we should always think about our teammates first. We should train ourselves to think We before me. Every person on every team has a role and that role is very important. We can all contribute to the team’s success. If do our very best to fill our role to the best of our ability, the only impact we will have on our team is a positive impact.

I believe that part of the reason I survived two plane crashes, endured tragic losses and made a great recovery, is to help others. We all face challenges every day, and I believe that it is my purpose to help others find ways to thrive in the midst of them.

Testimonials

“Austin was the PERFECT speaker for our team. His message of GRIT and overcoming adversity was so personal and authentic that everyone believed that they too could overcome adversity. To this day, our teams reference Austin’s story and the GRIT behind it. Austin is such a passionate and motivating speaker. We were honored to have him come talk to us and help the Mspark team!”

Steve M.

CEO of Mspark

“Earlier today over 100 of our firm’s associates participated in our Quarterly Business Update. Several hours later, I am still pondering the profound message from our guest speaker Austin Hatch. If you are not familiar with Austin’s story, I would suggest that you grab a box of tissues, go to YouTube and type in Austin’s name to find the 16 minute clip that ESPN did on his life’s story of overcoming significant personal tragedy. But, his story is not finished – his powerful message of G.R.I.T. and overcoming obstacles is extremely inspirational and made a huge impact in our firm today. Thank you Austin! I am so grateful to have gotten to know you.”

Jeffrey M.

Prudential Chicago

“In the space I serve, my goal is to assist clients and their families in preparing for what’s next. Absolutely no one could’ve prepared Austin Hatch for what was to come next in his life as a plane crash survivor as a young boy and again at 16-years-old that left him in critical condition. Austin has felt the pain of losing family members in an instant and the heavy grief that would be nearly impossible for anyone to overcome. Yet, overcome is exactly what Austin did. He battled back to recover from his physical injuries and drove himself hard to become a member of the University of Michigan Basketball
Team. Austin taught those around him that a mindset like his cannot be held down. He channels this grit, focus and energy into helping others understand that life isn’t about what happens to you, it’s how you respond to adversity. Austin is a shining example that through the struggles and loss one might have, you are strong enough to overcome any challenge and help those around you to be better. It’s an honor to know Austin, see his exemplary character and I recommend him to the highest degree.”

Dominic M.

Northwestern Mutual in Michigan:

“I have known Austin since he was at the University of Michigan. I knew him, knew his story, and knew about his outlook on life. So, I asked him to speak to my team about Grit. After an hour, I realized there was so much about his story and about he approaches his daily life that I did not know. His message of determination, positivity, and purpose resonated with each of us in attendance. Austin’s speaking style is authentic, his message is incredibly unique, and his view of life is refreshing. Each time I hear Austin speak, I am left exhilarated, focused, and committed to making those around me better.”

Matthew W.

Chief Franchise Officer of Caribou Coffee

“With the team dispersed across the country, sheltering in their homes and dealing with the adversity that has been brought on by the COVID pandemic, it was the perfect time for Austin’s message. Austin’s message around approaching adversity with GRIT reinforced the key focus areas that will ensure we don’t lose the successful momentum we had going into the pandemic. Having a growth mindset, being resilient and operating with integrity and as one team is what will keep our positive momentum going, and Austin did a great job of reinforcing the importance of all of these focus areas. He did a great job relating his life experiences to our industry and current business situation and we were fortunate to have him speak to the team.”

VP of Marketing at Nestlé

Stephen K.

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