Ocky Clark

Who is Ocky Clark?

Octavius Rene Clark was born November 14, 1960 in Sanford, Florida. He grew-up on his grandparent’s farm in Bookertown, named after Booker T. Washington. Clark would interject Booker T. Washington’s words of “nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work” into every aspect of his life. He was given the nickname Ocky by one of his favorite aunts.

Clark began competitive running at Sanford Seminole High School as a 3200 meter runner. With times of 4:23.8 in the Mile, 1:57 for 800 meters and 47 splits on the 4x400 relay he was one of the top runners at his school. After high school Clark attended Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas briefly, but then dropped out and joined the Navy on October 9, 1979 in downtown Ottawa, Kansas. After basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois he was assigned to the USS Enterprise which was dry docked in Bremerton, Washington. It was in Bremerton where Clark began to study the training methods of Arthur Lydiard. At the Inter-Service championships held at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland Clark clocked 1:51.65 at 800 meters.

Clark entered Santa Fe Community College in the fall of 1982. He began with the Cross-Country team but it was clearly on the track where Clark would win two National Junior College indoor 800 meters titles and one outdoor championship. He never lost a National Junior College race. From 1982-84 Clark established the Junior College Indoor and Outdoor National Record. Accomplishing 5 Junior College All-American titles in only two years.