By Derrick Smith
Clark Free enjoys playing sports and competing but there is something more important that drives him. It is something that has been with him since he was in elementary school. And after a lot of work, he can finally say that he has reached the goal he has been working towards.
“Since I was in the second grade, I have been motivated by my desire to attend one of the United States military academies and to be commissioned as an officer in the US military,” he stated. “Almost all of my hard work has been in order to reach this goal which I recently achieved. After receiving nominations from Senators Inhofe and Lankford as well as Representative Bice, I was accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Air Force Academy. I will be attending West Point in the fall.”
Free is a senior at Oklahoma Christian School and his fascination with the military did not just come out of nowhere. Instead, he had a role model that helped the interest grow.
“I have also always looked up to my great-grandfather,” Clark said. “He was a fighter pilot with the Flying Tigers during World War II. His courage and valor originally sparked my interest in military service.”
Work is something that Free is not afraid of. In fact, he says that is part of the reason he is on the track that he is on today.
“I have never considered myself a naturally gifted athlete,” Clark said. “All of my success has directly resulted from two things: prayer and hours of hard work. Prayer is a powerful tool, but I believe God doesn’t always just give us exactly what we ask Him for. Sometimes you have to go out and work as hard as you possibly can, and only then will God grant you success. Not that God doesn’t want you to be successful, just that He gives you the ability to be successful, and then it is up to you to go outwork everyone else day in and day out. That is my mindset. God has blessed me with the opportunity to be healthy and to compete and it is up to me to use the gifts He gave me to honor Him.”
