My name is Jim Hatcher I’m 75 years old and have been mostly retired for the last fifteen years. I like to describe myself as a pretty common guy who has done a couple of uncommon things. I’m not a fitness professional, but I have been involved with the iron in one way or another for more than 60 years. My real world of work was as an educator and a businessman. Also, I spent 23 years in law enforcement as a volunteer accumulating over 10,000 hours of volunteer time. More about that later.
What was the hardest time in your life? What tools did you use to get through it?
The hardest time of my life: probably my mid-forties. Uncertainty about career choices and the feeling that time was fleeting if I was ever going to make a change. Time has a way of solving many perceived problems, and that was certainly the case with me. Alls well that ends well.
What are your greatest successes?
Greatest successes: Father of two, grandfather of eight and married for fifty years. Lesser successes: Third place in my age and weight class at a National Masters Power Lifting Championship meet at 45 years of age and StrongFirst Level 1 Kettlebell Instructor Certification at 72 years of age. (At that time the oldest person ever certified Level 1, and I believe that is still the case)
Now that you have experienced life, what would you tell your 20-year-old self?
Character Counts in all things. Find a career that you love and pursue it with passion. Life goes by quickly!
Who was your greatest role model and why?
I didn’t really have an active father in my life, so at several important points, there were significant surrogate fathers that became role models at just the right time.
Any particular stories stand out from your storied career?
There were stages in my work that gave me great satisfaction. In business, there were many people that I hired who worked for me for several years and then moved on to extremely successful futures. I took great pleasure in knowing that their time with me contributed to their ultimate success. In law enforcement, having spent a long time in investigations, I had a particular affinity for the victims and their families of violent crimes. While it could never make anyone whole again, I took great satisfaction in helping to see that justice was served and offenders received sentences commensurate with their crimes.
If you had a chance for a "do-over" in life, what would you do differently? Or would you keep everything the same?
Hard to say, I have enjoyed nearly all aspects of my career. If anything, I might have stayed with the teaching and coaching rather than the business career, but who knows. No regrets
What do you want your tombstone to say?
“He did his best and gave his all.”
Why did you join law enforcement?
The law enforcement career began as an effort to introduce some variety into my life.
How do you spend your free time?
Free time that there is spent reading. Mostly books on leadership.
Who do you admire the most in life and why?
People who overcome adversity and persevere. Also, people who are committed to a specific calling and succeed in their efforts.
If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life what would it be and why?
The reluctance to step out in matters of importance to the general population where I might have been able to make a difference.
