Friends, family, and a small community group gathered at the Kailua Pier on Sunday to honor and celebrate the remarkable journey of Colin Clark.
It was meant to be a surprise for Clark, who had planned a casual swim to the half-mile buoy with his wife Natascha, and triathlon coach David Wild, before taking a flight back to Los Angeles on Monday for brain surgery. By the look on Clark’s face, it certainly was.
The 58-year-old Kona resident was immediately draped with leis, well wishes, and happy tears.
“This is a bit of a surprise to me that we are all here together,” Clark’s voice trailed off fighting back tears. “Seeing everyone here makes me feel so happy.”
For those unfamiliar with Clark’s story, you will find it is truly remarkable and inspirational in every way. 18 months ago, after completing the Triptophan Turkey Day Triathlon in Kailua-Kona with his wife Natascha, Clark, a lifelong endurance sports enthusiast, woke up the following night and noticed an uncontrollable twitch in left hand, and then suffered a seizure.
After being rushed to the hospital, then medevaced over to Oahu followed by a battery of medical tests, the results revealed a large tumor pressing into a crucial area of his brain. Clark immediately traveled to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was diagnosed with stage 4 Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
While life expectancy from this form of brain cancer varies from person to person, Clark was determined from the beginning to beat the odds. A challenging 42 days of surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy left Clark partially paralyzed on his left side of the body. However, it was his Ironman mentality within — anything is possible — that helped Clark conquer his grueling rehab schedule.
Slowly but surely, he went from being bedridden, to a wheelchair, to a walker, to walking on his own. He returned home to the Big Island in March of 2020 to further his rehab and by July, he was back to cycling and gained more strength every day. A year from being diagnosed with stage 4 Glioblastoma, he was back to running 5Ks and 10Ks, and thinking of training for his first Ironman distance.
By early March of this year, Clark reached out to Wild.
“Hey I want to do something crazy before things get worse with my brain cancer,” Wild said Clark mentioned to him. “I want to do the Ironman course. We could call it Ironman for Hope and raise money for Kona Hospice and North Hawaii Hospice.”
Wild couldn’t believe Clark’s positive spirit and ambition, and immediately agreed to train him for an Ironman scheduled in August.
“I thought wow, he is amazing. I trained people for Ironman Kona before but never someone with his condition. There were a lot of things we had to adjust specifically for his safety, but we were going to do it.”
Wild credits Clark’s remarkable positive outlook and attitude toward life to cope with his own personal stresses.
“When I look at my stresses of the day, or my emotional struggles with certain things in my life, I look at his story, his resilience, his positivity, and his ability to just keep going, to show up,” Wild said. “And that’s what I tell my athletes. The main thing in this sport is just to show up. And Colin shows up every day, not just physically, but with his spirit and positivity.”
However, a recent MRI revealed the tumor had grown, putting more pressure on the right side of his brain. His medical team in LA advised he return immediately for another surgery on Thursday.
“I just want to tell you a little about the Glioblastoma, the tumor, so you understand,” Clark said. “I have a tumor on the right side of my brain, and what it does is it affects and puts pressure on my motor functions. That is why I can’t really use my left arm right now. The good news is, I’m going to LA, and they will open it up and take some of the tumor out. The goal on Thursday is to operate and take out 65% of the tumor. I’ve been through this once before so I know what it is like. The goal is to come back soon, and more importantly, come back strong and regain some of my motor functions back.”
Clark, a Scottish native who moved to Kona in 2017 to serve as General Manager/Regional Vice President at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, described the outpour of support from the Kona Community to the scene of Scottish warrior, Mel Gibson, in Braveheart.
“In Scotland we have the movie Braveheart,” he said. “And there is a part in Braveheart where he’s charging down with his sword drawn and he looks behind him and all the Scots are there with him. And that’s how I feel today. You are all here together, for me and for our community as well.”
Clark’s inspirational story has touched the lives of many through appearances on Good Morning America, Hawaii News Now, KHON2 News, and two documentaries: Twice the Speed, Half the Fun and Ironman for Hope. To date, his Ironman for Hope Charity has raised $33,000 for Hospice of Kona and North Hawaii Hospice.
“Never quit,” said legendary Hall of Fame swim coach Steve Borowski of what he has learned from Clark. “I’ve learned so much from him in terms of toughness. I have a lot of injuries and surgeries but what he does is amazing. What an example of an incredible positive attitude – everyone who meets him can feel it.”
Uncle Earl Regidor, the director for Hawaiian Cultural Center at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and who gave a Hawaiian blessing before the half-mile swim, echoed Borowski’s sentiments.
“He’s such a strong man – both he and his wife,” Regidor said. “They are such a perfect team supporting each other the best they can. I can speak for the Four Seasons that we wish him all the best and we pray that everything will turn out well so we can see him back here.”
Clark and Natascha have been married for 30 years and have a daughter, Nadja. Natascha said he will always be the most amazing Braveheart.
“He’s my rock — my North, my South, my East, my West,” she said. “He’s my universe. He says he leans on me, but I lean on him just as much, probably more. This fight, this warrior spirit he has – I knew he always had it in him but I see it every day. I learn new things from him which makes me a stronger and better person as well. An event like today, bringing the community together is truly the most uplifting part of the whole entire story. This is what it’s all about. It’s not about Colin, or me, or about cancer. It’s about bringing everybody together on the same page, celebrating life, and having a can-do attitude to help and support each other.”
Prior to entering the pristine waters of Kaiakeakua Beach, Clark read a poem he says keeps him going every day.
If you swim ahead of me, I may not be able to follow.
If you swim behind me, I may not be able to lead.
If you swim beside me, I can be your friend.