A Tribute to David Clark, Superman
On October 17, 2015, I had the honor of riding a stationary bike alongside two ultra-runners for twenty-four hours. My friend Gregg Ellis organized an event to raise money for the Carter Hope Recovery Center in Dalton, Georgia. He invited me to ride with him. He also invited his friend from Colorado, David Clark, known to many as Superman. To commemorate ten years of sobriety, David planned ten epic runs in 2015. Number eight of David’s ten runs was Gregg’s 24-hour treadmill run.
At the end of the event, David handed me a copy of his first book, Out There: A Story of Ultra Recovery, with the inscription: To Joy, My awesome friend that suffered by my side so awesomely. Keep going! David Clark
I read it right away. (Well, after a nap, of course.) David wrote about his life, addiction, and path to becoming an ultra-runner.
In 2019, David wrote another book, Broken Open. And in May 2020, he released his third. Less than two weeks later, David had herniated disc surgery, and on May 21, 2020, at age 49, David died from surgery complications. After hearing the news on Rich Roll’s podcast (episode 521), I read all his books, wanting to better understand the Superman I had pedaled beside. (It surprised me to read in Broken Open he had included my name along with Gregg’s and a few others in his description of epic run number eight.)
Fast forward five years. Two weeks ago, I grabbed my signed copy of Out There off my shelf and flipped through it. Over the next several days, I listened to it on Audible from a new perspective—as an author. Then I listened to his second book, and his third. David had a gift, a rare ability to put words to emotions, pain, and beauty.
David inspired me as an athlete when I met him ten years ago. He inspired me five years ago through his story of resilience. And now, as an author who struggles to describe my thoughts and God’s creations, David is teaching me, through his words, how to write more deeply and vividly.
I wish I could tell him what a talented writer he was. He truly was Superman—not just because of what he overcame, but because of what he gave the rest of us—the belief that we can thrive, too.
Who inspires you? Have you told them lately? Don’t wait.
May 29, 2025 @ 6:32 pm
Well done, Joy! All of us writers need to be “pushing” other people’s works. One, it’s the right thing to do. Two, it gets people off their phones and Netflix and into a more rewarding and intellectually helpful activity. Three, it will inspire us to do other things.
May 29, 2025 @ 8:33 pm
Good points, Barbara. I love that about the writing community. Writers support writers. Thanks for exemplifying that in what you do.
May 30, 2025 @ 10:02 am
Joy, just finished your book last night (well too late). Loved it! Your descriptions of the places you went and people you met were so vivid it was like I was there. Enjoyed every chapter. Can’t wait for the next one. Keep growing in your faith.Glad you’ve recovered from your fall. So thankful for your brother. God is good.
May 31, 2025 @ 11:45 pm
Oh, LuEllyn. Thanks for reading. And thanks for the complements. David’s descriptions inspire me. That part of writing doesn’t come easy for me. Thanks too for the encouragement to keep growing. It’s definitely a life-long process, but I am walking in the right direction now. Yes. My brother is an angel. He dropped everything, to rescue me. Who does that? He and his wife play a big role in book #2 too.