Skip to Content

   

2021_Team_Navy_Athlete_Spotlight_ADaniel_Clarke_Web_Thumbnail_1920x1080.jpg

Athlete Spotlight – Daniel Clarke: Motivated to Adapt and Overcome

January 7, 2022 | Story by Megan Trexler | Commander, Navy Installations Command

WASHINGTON – Navy Diver 2nd Class (Ret.) Daniel Clarke, an eight-year Navy diver, joined the Navy Wounded Warrior program in November 2018. In February 2019, just two months after being released from the hospital, Clarke attended his first Navy Wounded Warrior adaptive sports event.

Clarke shared that, “At my first camp, I was still pretty fragile. I felt like I couldn’t really do much physically. At that point it was really about having the opportunity to meet people... I immediately felt connected to the people there.”

He said that the sense of community is what drew him in. “It doesn’t matter what injury or illness you have. The experience is parallel in more ways than you would think,” Clarke expressed.

Clarke described himself as being adaptable. “The survivor isn’t necessarily the smartest person or the person that can do the most pushups. It’s the person that can adapt to any situation and thrive.”

Growing up, Clarke was a devoted athlete. He was on the hockey, swim, and track teams, as well as a competitive kick boxer. “I am used to pushing myself. As a Navy driver, our training was very physically intensive.”

Clarke is a veteran athlete, previously representing Team Navy during the 2019 Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games in Tampa Bay, Florida. During previous DoD Warrior Games, Clarke competed in archery, cycling, powerlifting, shooting, and swimming.

Clarke shared that he loves competing in archery. “I was told that I was going to compete in archery, using a recurve bow. I tried it a few times and I really enjoyed it. It’s very sophisticated. It’s not just aim and shoot. There’s mechanics to it,” he said. After trying archery for the first time in March, Clarke medaled in archery during the June competition.

Navy Wounded Warrior is the Navy’s sole organization for coordinating the non-medical care of seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors and Coast Guardsmen and providing resources and support to their families.

The Warrior Games are a Paralympic-style competition among more than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members from all branches of the U.S. military, as well as from international armed forces. The 2021 Department of Defense Warrior Games would have been hosted at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida from September 12-22, 2021. The invitation-only event was going to feature 12 sports: archery, cycling, field, golf, indoor rowing, powerlifting, shooting (precision air), sitting volleyball, swimming, track, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. The 2021 DoD Warrior Games were canceled due to ensure the safety, health and well-being of our service members and local communities as the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to affect the country.

Newsfeed

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Shanice Dansby shares her journey with Navy Wounded Warrior. ---- Story shared from DVIDS.
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Cycling |From the DoD Warrior Games events to the sport’s origin, here is a list of four facts to know about the sport.
Congratulations to YN1 (Ret.) Lorraine Currow, who was selected as 2021 Navy Wounded Warrior of the Year by Navy Safe Harbor Foundation.
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Tiffany Hamilton shares her personal story of her recovery journey with PTSD.
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Shooting | From the sport’s Paralympic Games history to explaining the competition style, here is a list of three facts to know about the sport.
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Swimming | From the explaining the sport’s Paralympic Games history to the different types of starts, here is a list of six facts to know about the sport.
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Sitting Volleyball | From the sport’s origin to explaining why one team member wears a different color jersey, here is a list of four facts to know about the sport.
Join us in congratulating LCDR (Ret.) Jeffery Dewey. Dewey was selected as the Navy Wounded Warrior of the Month by Navy Region Southwest for March 2022.
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Field | From an overview of golf’s origins to your chances of getting a hole-in-one, here is a list of six facts to know about the sport.
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Field | From the explaining the term athletics to the Paralympic Games history, here is a list of five facts to know about the sport.
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Powerlifting | From the sport’s Paralympic Games history to explaining the difference between weightlifting and powerlifting, here is a list of four facts to know about the sport.
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Archery | From the types of bows to sports origin, here is a list of facts to know about the sport.
Check out the Fall 2022 Edition of the Navy Wounded Warrior's Family Newsletter! --- October - December 2022
Congratulations to MA2 Robert Orr! He was selected as Navy Region Southwest's Navy Wounded Warrior of the Month for October 2022.
Check out the Summer 2022 Edition of the Navy Wounded Warrior's Family Newsletter! --- July - September 2022
DoD Warrior Games Featured Sport: Indoor Rowing | From an overview of indoor rowing’s origins to competition style, here is a list of five facts to know about the sport.
Check out the Spring 2022 Edition of the Navy Wounded Warrior's Family Newsletter! --- April - June 2022
Former Marine Sgt. Dario Santana continues his life of service by serving as the Family Program manager at Navy Wounded Warrior headquarters
Tony Jungblut finds new life after 26 years in the US Navy through Navy Wounded Warrior. For Jungblut, the Navy Wounded Warrior program offered ways to stay active though adaptive sports and avenues to receive help and care during and after his transition to civilian life.
Join us in congratulating ITC Deatrice Sumlin! Sumlin was selected as the Navy Wounded Warrior of the Month by Navy Region Southwest for February 2022.
Back to top