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It's All About Courage

By Ted Witulski NCEP Coordinator
09/21/2000

The Olympic Trials in Dallas were meant to be a crowning achievement for Quincey Clark. Instead the three match series was an ordeal with the outcome in doubt, with each searing breath that Clark took. An excruciating cartilage tear in his rib cage nearly stole his Olympic dream, but the courage Quincey Clark displayed in battling through the pain will surely make his time on the Olympic stage all the more enjoyable. Clark is known to be an extremely talented and athletic wrestler. But he needed every bit of talent plus a healthy shot of courage to battle back after dropping the first match to Ethan Bosch of Colorado Springs in 3:00 minutes via injury default. In a scramble in the first match Clark executed a strong gut-wrench but Bosch spun and controlled a solid front-headlock. As Clark resisted the hold, Bosch began the motion of an arching front-head throw. As the two landed to the mat, the effect of the cartilage tear was almost immediate. Clark fell to the mat in extreme pain. Suffering a rib injury is like getting hit with a sledge-hammer. Clark tried to continue to wrestle but the injury was to severe to make a real threat to Bosch possible. Being down by one match Clark's Olympic dream was in jeopardy. Only two successive wins would gain him the Olympic berth. Amazingly, Clark was able to rally for those two wins. Taking the second match 8-0 and the third match 6-2. Experienced trainers and doctors helped prepare Quincey's body for the comeback matches. Beasey Hendrix, a gold certified coach, who works with athletes mental preparation helped Quincey relax and focus to block out the pain. But, in the end what undoubtedly pulled Clark through to a trip to Sydney was courage. Courage to step on the mat despite a terribly painful injury. Courage to believe that the goal was still achievable. Courage to do battle in a physically demanding sport such as Greco-Roman wrestling. And finally, courage to get the win, not once but twice. Courage helped make Quincey Clark an Olympian.
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