Charles Clark

Charles Clark is a speaker and mindset coach, sharing his story of pain and struggle and how it led him to be the man he is today.

Clark was a 3-time National Champion, 10-time All-American, and the 6th fastest man in the world at the age of 22. Just one year away from landing his first shoe deal as a track and field superstar, he was living out his ultimate dream-- until he faced a 99% tear in his right quad muscle, a career-ending injury. The devastating loss left Clark's purpose, confidence, and emotions completely side-swept.

In the wake of the life-changing event, Clark began speaking voluntarily at local schools, giving them a watered-down version of his life with surface-level motivation, never touching the pain he was going through. He believed no one would want to hear him speak.

One day, he finally realized that people needed to hear his entire journey. They don't just want to hear about success, they want to understand how the pain Clark went through had purpose. That's when his whole agenda changed, and he started putting on Thrive Events and traveling around the world impacting tens of thousands of lives each year. He became an expert in the things that had some people stuck: becoming mentally strong, improving habits, discovering purpose, vision creating, and goal setting.

Outside of speaking, Clark's passion for student-athletes led him to create a non-profit organization that impacts thousands of kids across the United States every year. After struggling to get into college academically and turning to track and field to boost his confidence and chances, Clark passed his entrance exam to Florida State University by a single point and went out to make the dean's list and academic honor roll during his time at FSU.

Clark developed a passion for helping student-athletes like himself that also struggled to get into college. He wanted to give them the resources they needed to succeed, but also give them the encouragement they deserved to secure the gold metal in life. This passion led him to developing What Matters Foundation. Since 2019, he has had the privilege of impacting over 30,000 students, and has given away over $20,000 in educational scholarships and put together the largest student inspirational event in Virginia with over 900 attendees.