In November of 2021, Ricardo Hamer achieved a aim that each physique athlete hopes to obtain – he earned his IFBB Professional League card. He stood onstage on the Ben Weider Naturals Pro/AM as a Masters males’s physique competitor with no doubts that his identify was going to be known as that day.

And even with all that confidence, the second it occurred nonetheless stays surreal for the Military Nationwide Guard member.

“At first, I used to be disillusioned when my identify was known as,” Hamer admitted. “I used to be doing a church shout and dance coming off the stage.”

The achievement was one worthy of celebration for the person who described himself as a “chubby kid” growing up. When he was at school in North Carolina, he doubtless didn’t see himself as a physique athlete, however he did need to be part of the Nationwide Guard after listening to from a buddy all the advantages that got here with service. Nevertheless, that ambition was shot down fairly rapidly after assembly with a recruiter.

“He requested me a couple of questions, and certainly one of them was, ‘Have you ever ever damaged your arm?’ I used to be like, ‘Sure,’ and he stopped the interview proper there,” Hamer shared. It turned out that due to having damaged his arm previously, the recruiter felt he wouldn’t make by way of the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) so as to be accepted.

“He simply despatched me on my approach.”

Hamer didn’t surrender hope, and hope got here by way of for him after he went again dwelling to Georgia. There was a letter there for him from the Georgia Nationwide Guard, providing him one other alternative to be part of.

“He got here by my home, he confirmed me all the roles that had been obtainable, and I joined. It was a simple factor for me this time,” he mentioned. “I had all the time needed to be in some type of civil service, whether or not it was navy, police division, fireplace division, one thing like that. I needed to defend and serve. It was all the time interesting to be part of one thing greater. That’s all the time been part of me.”

Master Seargeant Ricardo Hamer has been satisfying that want to serve for 22 years as part of the Nationwide Guard. Over the course of his two-plus a long time in service, he’s taken on intense challenges. One spotlight that stood out for him is his deployment to Afghanistan in 2017. He was truly assigned to work with NATO, which meant having to work with folks from a number of totally different nations. He was positioned in a supervisor position whereas he was on the market, having to hold observe and coordinate with 1000’s of individuals.

“It didn’t matter should you had been navy, what nation you had been from, should you had been a contractor or a authorities worker, I managed all of these folks,” he mentioned proudly. “I used to be in control of understanding the place they had been, what they had been doing, maintaining observe of studies, and understanding probably the most correct numbers attainable,”

Whereas many individuals would’ve been overwhelmed, Hamer noticed the blessing that got here from it. His rapid supervisor was from Bulgaria, he joined forces with servicemembers from the U.S. Air Drive, Navy and Marines in addition to servicemembers from Italy, Romania, Netherlands, and Australia. Hamer conservatively estimated that he had to coordinate the efforts of round 60,000 folks throughout all nations and companies offered.

“I’d obtain studies that I didn’t perceive. So, I had to get translators to assist me perceive them,” he recalled. Whereas the job he was despatched to do included various challenges, Hamer was empowered by what he was ready to accomplish whereas in Afghanistan.

“It helped me with my communication abilities, it empowered me to be extra affected person and understanding, and it gave me a broader outlook on folks’s views from totally different nations,” he mentioned. “Despite the fact that we weren’t the identical, all of us had a standard trait that united us.”

One person who he labored with was from the Netherlands, who appreciated that Hamer was into health. He wasn’t into bodybuilding at a excessive stage but, nevertheless it was visually apparent that he had been coaching for some time.

“Each time he had an opportunity to spotlight that I used to be into well being and health, he did, and he inspired me to assist others out. I assumed that was wonderful.”

Hamer had already been doing that lengthy earlier than that. He was licensed private coach who had labored with a bunch of purchasers of all athletic abilities, former New York Giants defensive finish Osi Umenyiora. Hamer helped him put together for the NFL Mix in 2003.

“Principally, he couldn’t get his 40 time low sufficient, and I confirmed him a couple of totally different strategies that helped him shave a few tenths off his time,” he mentioned. “I imagine displaying him how to run it like a observe star as a substitute of a linebacker helped.”

He additionally makes it a degree to unfold highly effective and significant messages on his Instagram page, the place he usually posts stay movies sharing encouragement and good vibes. Health has executed quite a bit for Hamer as properly, who mentioned that he nonetheless sees himself because the “fats child.”

“It helps me hold from going again to my previous methods,” he mentioned. Whereas he referenced these previous methods, he revealed that he nonetheless was ready to earn the President’s Bodily Health award yearly that he examined for it, which he took nice delight in. Yearly in elementary college that he introduced one dwelling, it could shock his mom.

“She was like, ‘I don’t how you retain getting these, however I’m happy with you,” Hamer mentioned when describing his mom’s reactions. He was additionally a wrestler and observe athlete in highschool. So, health has all the time been part of him. It can doubtless stay part of him going ahead now that he’s an IFBB Professional League Males’s Physique competitor. He’s wanting to make his professional debut on the 2022 DC Professional. That can assist him get his toes moist earlier than he has to make one other journey abroad to serve his nation, which he’s nonetheless lively in doing.

“I’m leaping in an ocean stuffed with sharks on that stage,” he acknowledged. Contemplating the work and challenges he’s confronted up to this level, don’t rely him out on making a splash in his professional debut.

Observe Ricardo on Instagram @rockyobodyfitness