We were lucky to catch up with John Henry Clark recently and have shared our conversation below.

John Henry, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

When talking about taking a risk, I always go back to my first journalism class at the University of Houston. There were probably 20 kids in the class and me — no doubt the oldest in the bunch at age 27 — and the professor walks in, introduces herself, talks a little about this and that, then gives us our first assignment:

Go out across campus and interview three people about registration, then come back and write a new story. Back in those days, there was no such thing as online registration for classes. You stood in long lines at various places to sign up for this course and that course, and it was a long ordeal that was no fun, to say the least.

After giving us our instructions, the professor stood there in front of the class, arms crossed, smiling. People were sort of looking around the room, unsure of what to do next. You could almost hear everyone’s thoughts: “Go out and interview people? Is she kidding? On the first day of class?”

A lot of these kids had probably worked for their school newspaper in high school and such, but I had never done anything like that. I worked for eight years after high school as a draftsman before deciding I wanted to go to school and become a sports writer.

I had no idea what I was doing.

But at that moment, I had a decision to make.

Do you want to do this journalism thing or not?

If you do, then get up and go interview some people.

So that’s what I did, and I lived through it. I don’t remember anything about the story I came back and wrote, but I don’t think that was the point of the exercise, really. I think the point was basically, “Do you want to do this thing or not? Let’s see what you got.”

That lesson stuck with me and came in handy more than once over the years. For example …

When I took up pole vaulting for the first time in my life shortly before my 60th birthday, I went for my first practice session to a high school track and field facility down near Austin, Texas, about an hour’s drive from where I live. After a quick lesson on how to hold the pole and what to do next, I stood on the runway, having no clue what was going to happen when I ran a few strides and jumped toward this huge landing pit. Would I hurt myself? Make a complete fool of myself? Could I even do it at all?

Then that old lesson from journalism class came back: “Do you want to do this or not?”

The answer was, yes.

Then do it.

And I did.

It was ugly, of course, but I did it — and I survived.

Fear holds a lot of us — most of us? — back from doing a whole lot of things.

When I went to Spain the first time in 2011 to backpack 500 miles by myself across the country, I was terrified. I wanted to call the whole thing off a number of times. When I arrived in Pamplona, I even got on the Internet and looked to see how much a plane ticket would cost to turn around and fly home the very next day. Thankfully, the cost was outrageous and so I stayed, somehow fought through my fears, and enjoyed one of the most amazing months of my life.

John Henry, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I took up pole vaulting, I was probably 50 pounds overweight — at least. After about a year of training and starting to compete — and going through a whole slew of painful muscle pulls and tears — I had given up alcohol and gotten myself back in pretty good shape.

People I knew and didn’t know started telling me what I was doing was an inspiration, and in conversations with my friend, Bubba Sparks, an old childhood acquaintance and champion pole vaulter through school and after, I decided to get my personal trainer certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and try to help other older folks who think life had passed them by and it was too late to turn things around and go after new or old dreams.

I wrote a book about my journey, “Finally Fit: It’s Never Too Late to Achieve a Dream,” and that is my motto now. It’s never too late.

I have won medals at state senior games and qualified three times for the National Senior Games, including this summer in Pittsburgh. I have been ranked as high as no. 17 in the country for my age group, and that is pretty amazing for someone who never touched a pole vault pole until age 60.

I have been training seniors (men and women) for a few years now at a local gym, and recently started providing in-home training for folks who can’t or don’t want to get out and go to a gym. Sometimes, they may be like one of my clients who is 80 years old, who has serious health problems and is mostly confined to a wheelchair, but wants to regain his strength and at least start walking with a walker again. Or someone who is just too intimidated by the idea of joining a gym and trying to fit in with a younger crowd. Or if they do have a gym membership, they don’t really know what to do beyond getting on a treadmill and maybe using a few machines.

Time after time, I’ve had men and women both thank me and say that I helped them not only feel better and move better, but gain the confidence to get in there with the younger folks and lift some weights.

A lot of times, along with the education and confidence my training provides, it is the motivation and accountability that makes a big difference. When it comes to exercise, the hardest part sometimes is simply showing up. Plenty of clients have told me that left to their own devices, they would not be able to muster up whatever it takes to show up and work out consistently.

I know what it’s like to be hopeless and feel like, “What’s the use?” I struggle sometimes like anybody else, and so I understand what it takes to achieve whatever goals a person may have. It has become sort of my life’s mission to try and inspire others and help any way I can.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building an audience on social media is an ongoing learning experience. I actually hired a coach to help me learn how to do social media marketing and such.

It’s not an easy thing to do and takes persistence. I’m still nowhere near where I’d like to be, but the main thing is, don’t quit. Again, back to that old journalism class lesson: “Do you want to do this or not? You do? Then do it!”

One lesson I’ve learned about that is that I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to know everything about what I’m doing, and it’s OK to make mistakes.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Creativity is something that truly feeds my soul.

I not only thrive on creativity, I don’t think I could live without it.

Along with writing, I paint, I play guitar, I write songs.

I write every day. Every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.johnhenryiii.com www.johnclarkfitness.com
• Instagram: @golfnman13
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.clark.393/