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2005/06/01, 02:35 AM
I don't know how many of you go into the Powerlifting thread, but, if you do, you'll know that I lost a dear friend last week, Stongman Anthony Clark. This is the reason why I haven't been on FTs for a week. Below is an article/memorandum that I wrote about him. It's going to be publish hopefully in about a week. I just wanted some feed back from my family here at FTs. Thanks......
“We were not born winners or losers; we were born choosers.” ….AC
The first I met Anthony Clark in person was at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. I went to pick him up from his in bound flight from Houston, so I could take him to a weeklong youth camp up in the mountains that I co-direct. But this was not the first time that I had heard of him.
This man first amazed me in the early years of my Powerlifting career. Anthony was breaking world records left and right, doing things his way, and because he was only two years older, he was a huge inspiration to me. Though his massive size and strength were impressive enough, it was his personality that really got me. I actually spoke with Anthony the for first time around 1994, when I called a phone number from a Powerlifting USA ad that had “Team AC” shirts for sale. I dialed the number, expecting to reach an operator, when I hear on the other side, “Hello. This is Anthony Clark.” I was flabbergasted! I was talking one on one to a world record champion powerlifter. But what struck me was how down to earth he was, and unassuming. It was like we have had known each other for years.
Anthony had a tough childhood. He and his family came to the United States from the Philippines when he was seven. Even with the extremely high level of cruelty he had to endure from his peers because of his skin color and his nationality, Anthony continued to press on, because he had heard so many good things about the opportunities available in this country. But then, matters became worse. Anthony’s father, for no apparent reason, began to severely physically and mentally abuse him. Finally, after it culminated with his near death from one of these beatings, and three attempted suicides, Anthony found Christ and His teachings, became a Christian, and pressed forward with his life at full speed.
And he was like a freight train. Anthony used to tell his peers when he was in high school that, someday, he would be the World’s Strongest Man. And that’s exactly what he did. He didn’t just beat adversity; he kicked its ass! I could list all of the records that he broke and set (including the first person to bench more than 800 pounds!), but that wouldn’t truly demonstrate the type of person he was on the inside. Anthony set the world of Powerlifting on its ear, and earned the sport a level of respect that it had never previously known. But, he also realized early on that his strength was a gift, a means to do other, more important work. Besides his strength training, Anthony began a ministry of sorts, going to prisons, schools, churches, and organizations, advocating self-worth, self-esteem, discipline, and tolerance. But, most of all, he taught hope. Every person he met, he touched them in a way that few people could ever do. He let everyone know how special they were, how important they were, and how much people needed them.
I found a way to contact Anthony on the Internet. I wanted him to come up to the youth camp that I volunteer for, and speak to the kids about his story. He agreed, and that’s how I ended up meeting him at the airport. The drive up to the mountains was about an hour long, and I was able to find out a lot about what made up the inside of the World’s Strongest Man. He stayed at the camp for a few days, doing talks, workshops, and some strength demonstrations. We stayed in close touch after that, and, the following spring, he came out to Vegas once more to do another talk and demo at local middle school. What can I say but that everywhere he went, Anthony touched souls.
That next summer, though, we thought we had lost him. Anthony was involved in a fatal head-on vehicle accident, and he was in a coma for two weeks. After many touch and go episodes, Anthony left the hospital under his own power. Two days later, however, his mother passed away. Anthony was once again devastated. But, he continued on with his mission, knowing, as he told me, “God still has a lot of work for me to do.”
And he kept going. The next summer, Anthony came up to the camp again, and was even a bigger hit with the kids than the last time. But what amazed me was how he always dealt with every single person on a one-to-one basis, didn’t matter if you were a kid, an adult, a lifter or not. When he would autograph a picture, it wasn’t just with his name; it was a full paragraph. And then, he would read it and explain it to the person he was giving it to. He spent well over two hours with the campers just signing pictures.
One month ago, Anthony came out to Vegas to attend a champion boxing match. When I went to meet him at the hotel for dinner, the first things he asked about were the kids and the camp; he wanted to know what he could do in the future to help further the organization. That’s how he was. But, unfortunately, his future with us wasn’t much longer.
Last Tuesday morning, I got the news: Anthony had left us Monday night. I spoke with his brother in-law, and he gave me all of the service arrangements, and that a memorial fund had been set up in Anthony’s memory. I also spoke with one of his associates, and, even in death, Anthony continued to amaze me. She said she wanted me to contact her within a week in order for me to send her more information on the camp and its kids. When I asked why, she said that, before he passed, Anthony made her promise to continue his ministries, and that included this camp. I was blown away. But it reminded me of what he said the year before, and I realized that he was done doing God’s work here, and that it was time to receive his reward, and to help us from up there.
You will be greatly missed, Anthony, by everyone who ever knew you. You lifted more than weights; you lifted many hearts. You had such an impact on so many people, more than you ever realized. You were one of the few individuals that I have ever known to actually practiced what you preached, and, even after all of life’s hardships, lived a life full of hope, faith, and good will. I know that you are much better off where you are now, and it is us who are the unfortunate ones still stuck down here, trying to fill the massive void within each of us left by the absence of your larger than life personality.
Thank you, Anthony, for everything…..
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Michael
*ITS LEG DAY*
You already blew out your wraps.
Your towel cant absorb any more sweat.
Theres puke on the floor.
Your partner is passed out.
Theres a crowd gathering...
And that was just the warm up!
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