Ripped!
Strongman has a soft spot for kids
Bill Clark has pushed, pulled and lifted his way through weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman competitions around the world. Yet, he credits mental strength and determination for his many achievements.
All of his strengths were on display in summer 2018 when he beat the Guinness World Record for most license plates torn in one minute. Clark, an adjunct lecturer in Health and Wellness Studies, used the unique challenge to raise awareness for childhood cancer.
“I mean, who really cares if you rip a license plate? It’s kind of humorous,” he says. “It’s entertaining, but I thought I could use it to raise awareness for a disease that is pretty important to me.”
Guinness agreed to promote the cause if Clark could beat the record of tearing 20 license plates consecutively in one minute’s time. He tore 23. Since then he’s been on ESPN and other media.
Tearing license plates comes naturally to Clark. A specific technique for ripping the plates, along with months of practice, helped him beat the record. He found that keeping one wrist straight and the other at a slight angle made all the difference. “There’s a technique to anything,” he says.
“There’s a technique to writing well. There’s a technique to having a good interview. There’s a technique to bench pressing 500 pounds. You have to have all of the elements in place to have good things, I think.”
Because owning unregistered license plates is illegal in New York, Clark had to get permission from the Broome County Clerk’s Office and the Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain license plates. The clerk’s office even gave him boxes of plates to practice with.
Clark started teaching strength-training courses at Binghamton University in fall 2018. When the University first contacted him, he wasn’t sure he could fit another job into his busy schedule. After meeting with the staff, however, he realized the opportunity was worth it.
“When I got there, everybody I met was just so awesome,” he says. “I came in 50/50 [wanting the job] and walked out thinking, ‘God, I hope they hire me.’”
Clark enjoys helping students solve problems that are holding them back from maximum success.
“Success is cleverly hidden in the ability to problem-solve,” he says. “You can’t get somewhere good without a problem. Watching the light come on and seeing the students’ faces as they overcome a challenge — I love that.”
More at billclarkstrength.com