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'I just went out there': The fastest human on two hands on his Guinness World Record

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TORONTO -

Zion Clark, who was born without legs because of a rare genetic disorder, set the for the fastest 20-metre walk on two hands earlier this year, clocking in at 4.78 seconds. Now, he has his sights on Olympics stardom.

鈥淚 just went out there and I just got hot,鈥 Clark told CTV鈥檚 Your Morning from his home in San Diego, Calif. on Monday. 鈥淚 already made up in my mind that I was going to set the record.鈥

The 24-year-old officially set the record back in February at his old high school gym in Massillon, Ohio, with his coach and Olympic gold medalist Butch Reynolds cheering him on from the crowd.

鈥淭he fun fact about that was the first attempt I was actually way faster than the official attempt that got clocked,鈥 Clark said. He estimated that he was one second faster than his current record but, unfortunately, his first dash wasn鈥檛 recorded properly by the sensors.

That鈥檚 why he鈥檚 highly motivated to smash his current feat: 鈥淪o you might just see me try and break my own record.鈥

Clark said the key to his success is constant repetition. 鈥淭o be able to move that fast you can鈥檛 just wake up one morning and think 鈥業鈥檓 going to be the fastest man on the planet鈥欌. It takes a lot of time and a lot of practice,鈥 he said.

In fact, it was a viral video of his training that caught the attention of Guinness officials in the first place. They reached out to him, letting him know that he might be the fastest person on two hands.

鈥淚 was like, 鈥榳ell, I guess I鈥檒l take a shot at it,鈥欌 he recalled. A few short months later, he set the record officially.

CLARK OVERCAME BULLYING, FOSTER SYSTEM

Clark was born with caudal regression syndrome, which is characterized by abnormal development of the end of the spine, and he was put up for adoption as a baby. He moved around within the foster care system for the first 16 years of his life.

鈥淚t made my life harder from the get-go because I had to go through two different surgeries for my back, just so I could sit up straight,鈥 he told the .

But within days of Clark aging out of the foster care system, he was adopted by Kimberli Hawkins, who鈥檇 always dreamed of having a son. 鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 not a foster mother. A lot of people say foster mother and I鈥檓 not a big fan of that because she is my mother," Clark added.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

He eventually found his calling in sports and began pursuing competitive wrestling. In 2018, Clark鈥檚 journey was the subject of a , in which he spoke about growing up without a stable home, being bullied, mentally abused, and overcoming adversity.

Clark is now training to become first American athlete to compete in both the Olympics and the Paralympics in Paris in 2024. In the former, he鈥檚 looking to compete as a wrestler and, in the latter, he鈥檒l be testing his limits in wheelchair racing.

He has his sights on winning more medals than American swimmer Michael Phelps, who鈥檚 currently the most decorated Olympian of all time.

鈥淚鈥檓 currently one of the fastest 100-metre sprinters in country when it comes to track and field, and I feel like that鈥檚 rightly so,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 put in the work, I put in the time, I put hours, and hours, and hours on the track that nobody has seen. I鈥檓 sometimes there in the dead of the night鈥 I want to be the first one there and the last one to leave.鈥

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