Ray Clark
2000
Ray Clark was one of Wheelchair Sports USA’s (formally the National Wheelchair Athletic Association) dominant athletes in the 1970’s. He is considered one of the greatest wheelchair field athletes and pentathletes to ever grace the competition field.
Ray was a member of four Paralympic teams from 1972 to 1984 as well as nine World Wheelchair Games and three Pan American Wheelchair Games teams. In all, he captured fifteen Paralympic medals (ten gold, two silver, three bronze), fifty-six World Wheelchair Games medals (forty-three gold, eight silver, five bronze) and seventeen Pan American Games medals (eleven gold, six silver). During his career he held numerous world records.
Ray excelled on the basketball court as well. He was a member of the United States team that participated in the Gold Cup in 1975. He helped lead the Southern Illinois University team to the very first intercollegiate National Championship in 1977 and for more than fifteen years Ray held the intercollegiate single game scoring record.