Casey Clarke, PhD
Contributor | 1985
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Casey Clarke, one of the original coaches in the history of the National Wheelchair Athletic Association, was known for his skillful coaching, his organizational savvy and his dedication to wheelchair sports in its formative years. He was the head coach of the U. S. Wheelchair Team in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960. He later headed the team in international competition at the Stoke-Mandeville Games in England.
In 1960, the University of Illinois Gizz Kids entered their first national competition under Coach Casey. The team coached by Casey wrested the national championship from the Bulova Team that was seeking their fourth consecutive national title. He was responsible for the development of some of the most talented athletes when wheelchair sports was in its infancy. Casey’s legacy was the degree of skill that athletes with disabilities could develop through quality coaching and training.
From wheelchair sports, Casey moved on to the United States Olympic Committee where he was known as Dr. Kenneth S. Clarke, serving as a deputy secretary general. Casey was highly successful in all of his endeavors but he never forgot his roots in wheelchair sports at the University of Illinois. He also learned so much from his charges and never forgot the lessons he learned from them. Casey Clark molded those athletes into champions and a legacy that would last for decades.
