Collin Clarke, a bodybuilder with Down syndrome, serves as an inspiration for others

EVANSVILLE — Many people use excuses to avoid blame or self-defeat for something they said they were going to do and just didn't.

It’s especially true when it comes to working out or living a healthier lifestyle. They’ll buy a gym membership as a New Year’s resolution and never follow through because they’re too busy or tired or not seeing results.

Rarely are excuses based on ability, just simply a lack of effort.

Collin Clarke doesn’t want people to use excuses. He wants to be an example that you can do anything if you put your mind to it, and that's not just another cliché.

Clarke has Down syndrome, which causes a distinct facial appearance, intellectual disability and developmental delays. None of that has stopped him from achieving his dreams.

It’s not an excuse or a cop-out. He’s a bodybuilder, motivational speaker and the face of a non-profit, Collination, created to assist those with special needs.

“A long time ago, I asked my mom about Down syndrome and how I can change who I am,” he said. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. This is me, this is how I was born. So, OK I have it, but I don’t let it define me. I let it motivate me to work that much harder and show everyone that I can do anything.”

Clarke, 25, is from Evansville and went to North High School. You might recognize his story, which has been featured by Men’s Health, People, Buzzfeed and Daily Mail, among other major publications.

Most of that exposure came in late 2015 and early ’16, but he didn’t stop his hard work when the spotlight dimmed. He still trains at Bob’s Gym North daily as he strives toward a greater purpose of inspiring others, whether they also suffer from a disability or just need some extra encouragement.

“I don’t do this for me at all,” Clarke said. “I put in the work and train, but I like to give back, you know? For the kids. I do it for them so they can help make their dreams come true. It’s about giving them an opportunity.”

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are regarded as superheroes by some. They’re seemingly larger than life, both in stature and how they’ve impacted the world.

Clarke has always looked up to them. They’re the reason he developed a passion for bodybuilding, which involves strenuous exercise but isn't based on strength. Rather, they are judged on their muscularity, symmetry and definition when enacting eight specific poses on stage.

He hasn’t always been in great shape, though. He needed motivation too.

Clarke, who stands 5-feet tall, weighed 201 pounds with 37 percent body fat in 2015. He was in a bad place, battling depression while at high risk of developing diabetes. He knew he needed to change.

He attended his first bodybuilding show, Indiana Muscle, as a spectator and was invigorated. Those people on the stage? That was going to be him someday. He was sure.

“Changing his diet was the biggest difference at the start,” his mother, Jodie Clarke, said. “He enjoyed corndogs. Like, he had a daily thing where he would eat corndogs.”

Jodie meal preps most of his food, which primarily consists of egg whites and oatmeal for breakfast, then chicken or other protein, rice, and lots of vegetables and salads. Clarke cut down on the carbs to start eating healthier while increasing his exercise routine with the help of his former trainer, Glenn Ubelhor.

Six months later, he had dropped 64 pounds – down to 137 – and had just 7 percent body fat. He entered the Kentucky Muscle Bodybuilding Championship in Louisville that fall -- and an Internet sensation was born.

“It was unexpected and overwhelming because we felt like we needed to answer everybody who reached out,” Jodie said. “That’s why we formed Collination. He uses his social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – to connect with his supporters and followers from all around the world.”

Clarke entered Kentucky Muscle again in 2016 and then this spring he competed in the Indiana Muscle & Expo at Old National Events Plaza on March 17, his birthday. He’ll start cutting weight again on July 1 for this year’s Kentucky Muscle, which is held in October.

“Being on stage is incredible,” he said. “When you step on it, you get to feel the emotion of everything, and it’s like, ‘Wow, I’m doing this for the people. I’m giving them what they want to see.’”

He met one of his idols at his first competition.

David Baye was working for the magazine Muscular Development at the time, traveling the world covering professional and amateur bodybuilding competitions. Baye heard about Clarke’s story and knew it would resonate with the public.

Baye’s a bodybuilder himself. A former Mr. Wisconsin, he presented Clarke with the “Most Inspirational” award that day after he placed fifth. They quickly developed a friendship. Plus, Baye's article was one of the reasons Clarke's story got picked up nationally.

Eventually, Jodie and her husband, Carter, asked if Baye would become Clarke’s trainer, even though he lives in Appleton, Wisconsin.

They talk every day. Baye develops the training regimen and diet, and Clarke follows it loyally. They’re a team, proving that if you are willing to work, you also can accomplish more than you would’ve ever imagined.

“The thing about bodybuilding is there’s no way to get in competition shape without busting your butt,” Baye said. “Genetics go a long way, but if you’re getting on that stage, it’s going to be because of hard work and Collin doesn’t shy away from that.

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“RESPECT THIS,” stated billboards around town above photos of Clarke flexing his muscles to help raise Down syndrome awareness back in 2016.

He has traveled as far as North Dakota, California and Florida to spread his message. He’s spoken to classes of grade school children over Facetime. And he’s led an exercise program at the National Down Syndrome Convention.

Clarke is pushing his message however he can through Collination. His siblings Courtney, 24, and Connor, 23, also assist in any ways they can.

They each were born 11 months apart, and that ultimately benefited Clarke. He was reaching milestones at the same time as Courtney because he wanted to keep up, and then the two brothers were always competing.

“We have always encouraged him to do all typical activities,” Jodie said.

That’s one of the reasons they developed their Five For Five program and are involved with AceBuddies, a free exercise class for special needs children he does in conjunction with the University of Evansville and its students.

“Just to help others in the Evansville community, it’s inspiring to me,” Clarke said. “I’m all about the kids, helping them and giving back. I’ve been in those shoes before. I look at them as my inspiration and they make me want to work harder every day and try to live up to their expectations.”

Some of the children he interacts with didn’t exercise until they met Clarke. Now they want to be just like him. A few are non-verbal, but they’ll still flex their arms and grin when they see him.

Five For Five originally represented five easy exercises to perform for five minutes, but it has since been revamped to signify five exercises to do five days per week. The name is trademarked and they hope to partner with different universities around the country to get more communities involved.

It's taken off with the help of Kate Schwartzkopf-Phiser, a physical therapist who also has a son with Down syndrome. She’s a professor at UE and she met the Clarkes by chance, but she’s been crucial in getting more children off the couch to be more active.

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Bob’s Gym North is Clarke’s sanctuary. He even works there, either cleaning up or greeting members at the front desk.

He exercises every evening with his best friend Jeff Kosar, who’s in his 50s and had a sister who died of Down syndrome. They met at the gym and have competed against each other, but Clarke considers Kosor his coach and Baye his trainer.

“Every time I go in there and walk through those doors, it feels like home,” Clarke said. “I have coworkers I can talk to and I get extra motivation from the others in there, too. It’s like a family.”

He started weightlifting at 12, even though he didn’t get into bodybuilding until he was 21. He’s made friends in the bodybuilding community from throughout the country.

Clarke hopes to turn pro someday. He intends to continue progressing and eventually qualify for national events, such as the Pittsburgh Pro or the NPC USA Bodybuilding Championships.

“One day, I want to be stepping on stage one day with Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Clarke said.

His personality and smile are infectious. He’s compassionate, determined and hard working. Many of the people in Collination whom he’s inspired he never has and never will meet.

He's working for them. No excuses needed.