“Man is he tall!” is naturally the first thing one thinks of when they see Derek Clark. At 6’5” he is indeedquite a
presence.
Tom Perry (fellow FCAA Member) and I got there early because we knew the place was going to fill up and we
wanted to make sure we got a good seat. As we walked into Crosswinds Church in Dublin CA we were greeted by
several members of the Agape Foster Care Services. They were all very friendly and answered all of our questions,
shared stories and were obviously very excited to be hosting this event.
The first thing I noticed on the stage in the sanctuary was two guitars and I thought to myself “This really is gonna
rock!” When he first got up on stage he told us a bit about the TedX event he just participated in where he met this
incredible kid by the name of Josh Burger and he invited him to share his story with us.
He was amazing! He rolled up onto the stage in this super fancy wheelchair that looked like it was specially designed
just for him. He celebrates life through a debilitating physical condition and is one of five people in the world with it.
That alone is amazing enough but is seem as though he and Derek were cut from a very similar cloth in their
resiliency and ability to make unfortunate events and issues work in their favor. He told us about how his mother
found out about his condition while pregnant and made the choice to have him anyway knowing that at best (or so
the doctors said) he would only live for a few years. According to Josh a “few” is more than 22. That’s how old he
is now anyway. He has such a jovial view of life and immense gratitude for all that he has gone through with his
condition, knowing that it all made him the wonderful man that he is today. He ended to a standing ovation.
Up next was the giant of a man in many different ways. Derek “Never Give Up” Clark himself. He began by
opening up his heart and sharing with us how he was placed into Foster Care, the abuse that he endured at the
hands of his father while still in his mother’s belly and from his mother and step father ending with blatant
abandonment. He continued with what led him from foster home to foster home ending at a farm where he finally
received unconditional love from perhaps the most patient couple who ever walked this earth. He really put them
through his own personal version of hell as his own form of little demon and they helped him prove to himself and
others that he was not the mentally challenged young man that he was diagnosed as.
He talked about his high school dream of becoming a rapper called “Diamond D” with a story that started out very
similar to Eminems movie “8 Mile” except he didn’t owned his own company, wrote six books and more recently
began traveling the world as a Corporate Sales Motivational and Personal Development Training Speaker. He has
accomplished all of this while not only being a loving husband and doting father but has continued to write and
perform music. Living out his dream to be noticed for his musical talent he first got recognized for his song”
Goodnight Soldier” that he wrote for our troops overseas. And yes…he did sing for us. The first one was the
touching “This Is My Life This Is My Story” and it brought tears to my eyes watching him perform it live. The
words really hit home but seeing the emotion on his face while he sang really let me know that he wasn’t just
singing words that I could relate to. He really understood. The other song was hilarious. Derek was talking about his
beautiful wife and how blessed he was to have such a wonderful spouse and partner. This song he said was his
secret. It was Tim Hawkins “Things You Don’t Say to Your Wife”.
He finished up by explaining his mantra of “Make no excuses and never give up.”, letting us in on some ways that
he had been able to maintain a positive outlook even it times of great stress, key points to remember when dealing
with other people and how to continue seeing ourselves as not only worthy but fully capable of living life to its
fullest fulfilling our dreams and following our passions. Referring to Derek as motivational or an inspiration is a total
understatement. He instills courage, determination, regeneration of spirit and the knowledge that adversity can not
only be overcome but used for positive momentum.
After his presentation he met with folks by his book table and greeted everyone who wanted to say “Hi”, get a hug,
picture or book signed by his special “Golden Rod”. That’s the name that he gave the pen that was specially made
for him by Tom. Being very personable he made everyone feel like one big family and ready to take on whatever
the world had in store for us.
I’m very honored to say that even as busy as he is, Derek took some time out of his busy schedule to meet with
Tom and I after everything was picked up and packed away in his truck to get to know us as siblings from the
foster care community and co members of Foster Care Alumni of America. Derek has definetly been a huge part of
me being able to spotlight my passion and become confident that I will attain the good things that I plan on achieving.
Owner/Editor - Chris Chmielewski