Hall of Fame 2007 – Julie Clark

“Ask not what your country can do for you…ask what you can do for your country,” John Fitzgerald Kennedy January 20, 1961. 

The Hall of Fame is a very prestigious award in any sports organization. It is, however, the heart and soul of Gulf Winds Track Club. Our award winner embodies the spirit that makes this not just another club, but rather, a great one. He…or she has shown a level of dedication to running and the club, that separates him…or her from the pack. What are these intangibles that allow an individual to rise to such a level? The initiative to fill a void where one is perceived; a willingness to serve without being pursued; a love of running and the desire to share it with others; always putting the welfare of other runners first; and being an ambassador for Gulf Winds Track Club. 

Our award winner’s persona is such that it instills confidence and encourages runners of all levels to obtain goals that they thought were out of reach. I first met him…or her at a beginners running group at Leon High School some 18 years ago. Dot Skrofonick and my wife, Jeanne O’Kon, were instructing a group of neophyte runners. A very personable individual with an infectious smile soon stood out among the group. This individual would soon work her way into our hearts. She eventually took over the beginning running group and hasn’t looked back since. Sine then, she has excelled as a runner, but she never forgot what it was like to be a beginning runner. Whether it has been the Springtime Training Class or the Boston Mini-marathon Training Class or the Turkey Trot Training Class, our winner has had an impact on a lot of grateful runners.

I am sure JFK would not mind my paraphrasing what appears to be this honoree’s philosophy: Ask not what your club can do for you…ask what you can do for your club.

Gulf Winds Track Club members: please stand and recognize our 2008 Hall of Fame inductee – Julie Clark