b"Hazel ClarkComes HomeAn Olympian returns to South Orange to raise her daughterBY AMY LYNN-CRAMERHazel Clark is back in her child-hood home with husband Shane Mcilwain and daughter Hazel.W henthree-timeof a second, Clark built a resume that includesfather pushed excellence, Clark says. But he also Olympian and SouthOlympic appearances, multiple national titles andbelieved deeply in preparation. His message was Orange native Hazelleadership roles in the global business arena. always, Do the work, and youll be ready. Clark walks throughAnd now she is raising her own daughter here.That mindset carried her to the University of the front door of herI didnt realize how much this community formedFlorida, where she was coached by her brother, J.J., childhoodhome,me until I left it, Clark says. now head coach and director of track and field at shes returning to herLong before the Olympic lanes and national roots. This house shaped me, Clark says. Itsrankings, Clark was growing up in a family of elite whereconversationsaboutdiscipline,educationrunnerswith an accomplished older sister, four-and service once filled the air. Everything I learnedtime Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs, and a brother about hard work started right here. already dominating the track.The lawn that once drew national news camer- I ice skated, danced and played basketball, as tells only part of Hazel Clarks story. Clark wasClark says. I did everything to avoid track and raised by a mother and father who balanced onefield. I didnt want to be compared to my brother another.Her father was Joe Clark, the legendaryand sister. I wanted to find myself.Eastside High School principal portrayed by Mor- Clark didnt step fully into the sport until she gan Freeman in Lean on Me. With her motherswas 16, when she finally joined the track team at quiet strength, they created a household groundedColumbia High School, a decision that felt deeply in integrity, encouragement and unwavering ex- intentional. Within a year, she was ranked No. 1 pectations. in the nation. It became mine, she says. That The Clark family (clockwise from top L): Joe Clark, J.J. At the highest levels of international competi- made all the difference. Clark, Hazel Clark, Jearl Miles Clark (J.J.'s wife) and tion, where athletic careers are defined in fractionsShe retained the lessons instilled at home. MyJoetta Clark Diggs. 16/ matters magazine / hearth + home 2026"