WORK WITH WHAT YOU GOT

A professional athlete recounts growing up in the foster care system.

Due to caudal regression syndrome, Clark was born without legs. Later, he was also diagnosed with ADHD. But, he writes, being Black and disabled weren’t his greatest obstacles. In fact, he doesn’t consider himself disabled, just “built lower to the ground” as he nimbly walks on his hands. Relinquished at birth by his incarcerated mother, Clark entered the foster care system in Ohio. In straightforward language, Clark and co-author Hirsch critique the numerous challenges of life in foster care, such as instability and foster parents’ lack of training in caring for disabled children. The book reveals that children in foster care are frequently abused—as Clark himself was—and susceptible to poverty and mental illness. Clark, who joined a gang and was arrested for assault at 14, avoided further negative outcomes thanks in part to caring adults, including some foster parents, coaches, and his adoptive mother, Kimberlli Hawkins. She saw Clark play trumpet in the high school band, took him in as her foster son, and reawakened his faith in God. Though he excelled at wrestling and wheelchair racing, among other sports, in high school and beyond, Clark feels his most important contribution is being a role model, especially to kids. Though it may feel familiar, his motivational advice is refreshingly down-to-earth, acknowledging many ways to make a difference and encouraging kids to face tough situations one step at a time.

Honest and eye-opening.