Austin Hatch

Austin Hatch is a two-time plane crash survivor, former college athlete, and a motivational speaker on overcoming adversity, growth mindset, teamwork, and resilience.

On Labor Day of 2003, Hatch and his family were flying home from their vacation home in northern Michigan. As they were preparing to land, the aircraft crashed and burst into flames. Hatch’s dad threw him out of the plane, saving his life and went back into the flames to get his mother, sister and brother, but tragically, was unable to. His mother, sister and brother did not survive.

Hatch and his father grieved their loss but became each other’s lifeline through the grief, pushing each other to overcome the loss, as he knew his mom, sister and brother would’ve wanted. A year later, Hatch’s dad met a lovely woman named Kimberley, who had three kids of her own. The couple was married about a year after meeting and together, they had a wonderful blended family. Meanwhile, Hatch worked hard on athletic skills and began to have success on the basketball court. Hatch’s dream was to play for the University of Michigan (UM). Then on June 15, 2011, Coach Beilein offered him a full scholarship to play basketball at UM, which he accepted.

Nine days later, on June 24th, 2011, Hatch's father and “second mother” were flying to their vacation home to have a weekend of celebration. As they were preparing to land, the aircraft crashed and Hatch’s father and second mom were killed on impact. Hatch suffered severe injuries and nearly lost his life. After being in a coma for two months, he had to relearn how to walk, talk, eat and basically how to live his life, once he woke up. With the help of many, many people and against the odds, Hatch persevered and was able to make a solid comeback to take the place at university that was held open for him.

Hatch graduated from the UM and is now a full time motivational speaker with a message about thriving in the midst of adversity. He is married to an incredible woman named Abigail, who was also a former varsity athlete UM. Hatch considers himself blessed to be in a position to be impactful and speak to add value to a variety of organizations.

Hatch believes that part of the reason he survived two plane crashes, endured tragic losses and made a great recovery, is to help others. He has been sharing his story and message about grit and thriving in the midst of adversity to inspire others to overcome the adversity they face in the years since. We all face challenges every day, and Hatch believes that it is his purpose to help others find ways to thrive in the midst of them.