Collin Clarke, 22, is a trailblazer for people with Down Syndrome.
This time last year, Clarke weighed 201 pounds and had 37% body fat. Fast forward six months, and Clarke was posing on stage at 137 pounds and 7.2% body fat.
The transformation happened all because Clarke saw personal trainer and bodybuilder Glenn Ubelhor practicing his routine in front of the mirror at Bob’s Gym in Evansville, Indiana. Clarke worked the front desk at the gym, but never really considered hitting the weights until he then.
Ubelhor took Clarke under his wing and got to work, with a goal of posing at Kentucky Muscle, which is a bodybuilding competition.
The transformation went far beyond the physical, however.
“Life’s just so amazing to me,” Clarke told Men’s Health. “When I walk through that door, I feel happy. It puts a smile on my face. I see a lot of people here that know me and I know them. It makes me feel awesome…Fitness changed my life emotionally and physically.”
Clarke has taken his strength beyond the stage, too. He started a non-profit called Collination, which will provide fitness opportunities for people with special needs.
With a motto of “Never give up,” Clarke shows us all what it means to truly pursue a goal.
