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Athlete Spotlight – Tiffany Clark: Try Everything

2024_Team_Navy_Athlete_Spotlight_Clark-Tiffany_Web_Thumbnail_1920x1080.pngMarch 27, 2024 | Story by Alyssa Ross | Navy Wounded Warrior

WASHINGTON – OS2 Tiffany Clark (ret.) joined the military intending to dedicate 20 years in service to her country. She had a tumultuous upbringing and was unhoused at the time of her enlistment. The Navy offered her the security she craved and she thrived.

Around 2016, she tore her ACL, made a full recovery and returned to duty. In 2021, her command played a game of COVID-safe no-touch ultimate frisbee for PT. About 15 minutes before the end of the game, she felt something pop in her leg. She tore her ACL completely through and needed intensive surgery.  

As a single parent, she was granted permission to travel home to Texas for the surgery to have support for herself and her young son. She had to re-learn to walk. This all sat heavily on her mind and heart. 

"I used to run 5Ks. I gave up doing things I loved, like going to the gym, because I was scared that I would reinjury myself," she said. "What was I going to do? All my progress was being undone. I didn't think I'd ever be able to run and play with my son again."

One of her medical providers referred her to Navy Wounded Warrior and she took full advantage of the program's offerings. They helped her find mental-health counseling, as well as childcare for her son and support services for her caregiver. When it was apparent she would transition out of active duty, Navy Wounded Warrior connected her with Operation Homefront to establish housing and Hire Heroes so she would have a job lined up. 

She took advantage of so many aspects of Navy Wounded Warrior's services that her care team encouraged her to also try adaptive sports, but she was hesitant. "I filled out the forms in 2023, but I didn't submit them because I got in my head about it." 

Around that time, she heard OS1 Travis Wyatt (ret.) speak at a Navy Wounded Warrior event at NMCSD about his transformative experiences with adaptive sports. She decided to give it a go. She attended her first intro sports camp in January 2024 and Team Trials in February 2024. 

"The first time I ran at the January camp, I cried. After surgery, my thigh atrophied. I was on crutches for almost a year. I didn't think I'd ever run again."

 By February, she signed up for every sports trial she was medically cleared to attend. "Whenever they asked me to try something, I said, 'Sure!' It allowed me to get out of my head about it. You never know if you'll like something until you try it."

Clark will be part of Team Navy at the 2024 Department of Defense Warrior Games in Orlando, Fla., this coming June. She's become an advocate for Navy Wounded Warrior, referring friends to join the program, too. She's taken on a new role as the fulfillment manager for a private aerospace company closer to home in San Antonio, Texas. Things are on the up.   

About Adaptive Athletics

Fitness and teamwork are a way of life in the military. Serious illness or injury can profoundly impact that way of life, often confining a service member to a hospital bed and significantly altering their physical capabilities. Adaptive athletics are sports that have been modified to meet the abilities of injured or ill individuals. They help wounded warriors build strength and endurance, while also drawing inspiration from their teammates. All wounded warriors enrolled in Navy Wounded Warrior are encouraged to include adaptive athletics in their recovery plans to build strength and endurance. Sports also helps build self-esteem, lowers stress levels, and invites service members to rejoin a supportive team environment. 

Numquam Navigare Solus – Never to Sail Alone

Navy Wounded Warrior is an unbiased advocate that bridges the needs of commands, care teams, and service members in planning a way forward after a serious wound, illness, or injury. Staff guide Sailors and Coastguardsmen, with their families and caregivers, to create a comprehensive recovery plan, which provides a holistic approach tailored to individual recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration needs. The program allows service members and their families to feel empowered and supported as they adapt to their new normal. To date, nearly 10,000 seriously wounded, ill, and injured service members located throughout the country received assistance from Navy Wounded Warrior.

Sailors and Coast Guardsmen may self-refer to Navy Wounded Warrior, or be referred by a family member, their command leadership or their medical team. Contact the Navy Wounded Warrior call center at 855-NAVY WWP / 855-628-9997, or email navywoundedwarrior.fct@navy.mil.

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