The Okanagan Granfondo confirmed on July 15 that a death occurred on race day in Penticton.
Two longtime friends of the man who died while competing in the Okanagan Granfondo on Sunday remain in shock after confirming their good buddy Greg Clark died tragically while competing in the long distance cycling race Sunday in Penticton.
Terry Mullen and Greg Joyce both described Clark, a retired RCMP officer, as a remarkable athlete, great father and husband and terrific friend.
Both said finding out Clark had died doing what he loved is still hard to grasp.
However, both said he was doing what he loved as playing hockey, cycling and staying fit were an integral part of who he was.
含羞草研究社淚 played hockey with Greg for quite a few years and he was just an outstanding player,含羞草研究社� said Mullen. 含羞草研究社淎nother thing my wife and I did with Greg and his wife was for more than 20 years is we went on cycling trips to Europe. He and his wife were with us probably 80 per cent of the time we went to Europe.
含羞草研究社淗e was quite a remarkable cyclist. I can remember many times we含羞草研究社檇 be climbing a massive hill and I含羞草研究社檇 be exhausted and he含羞草研究社檇 be waiting for me at the top. I含羞草研究社檇 ask him how did you manage to get up so quickly. He含羞草研究社檇 smile and say 含羞草研究社榳hat hill含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可绂I didn含羞草研究社檛 see one.含羞草研究社�
Clark was as nice a person as he was gifted as an athlete, said Mullen.
含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 the mildest person that I know,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淗e smiled more often than anyone else I know. I also don含羞草研究社檛 remember him ever criticizing anybody ever, for any reason. He was such a remarkable guy. He was so talented not just in sports, but so many other things. He was so easy to get along with. He was so fit and didn含羞草研究社檛 have an ounce of fat on him. It含羞草研究社檚 just really hard to believe.含羞草研究社�
Clark became a wizard at woodworking and carpentry over the past decade and loved nothing better than creating small works of art with wood and doing home renovation upgrades. He also started a small business fixing bicycles of all shapes and sizes, said Mullen.
含羞草研究社淗e just loved doing that sort of thing,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檇 ask him what project are you working on next. I don含羞草研究社檛 ever recall him ever saying I含羞草研究社檝e got nothing to do and nothing I含羞草研究社檓 working on. He含羞草研究社檇 finish one project and be starting on another.含羞草研究社�
Clark had a special relationship with his daughter Heather and they competed together in numerous cycling events over the past several years, said Mullen.
含羞草研究社淕reg and Heather had completed some of the most demanding cycling tours together and it was remarkable what they accomplished,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭hey competed in the big race in Whistler numerous times and that race is known for how hilly and difficult it is.含羞草研究社�
Another friend, Greg Joyce, also had nothing but great things to say about Clark.
含羞草研究社淗e wasn含羞草研究社檛 a close friend of mine, but I played oldtimers hockey with him for many years,含羞草研究社� said Joyce, in a phone call Monday morning from the same neighbourhood where Clark lived. 含羞草研究社淗e was a very good hockey player and we all knew he cycled a lot. We both played in an oldtimers hockey league at UBC (University of British Columbia). He actually lives about five blocks from me on the west side of Vancouver near UBC.含羞草研究社�
Not only was Clark one of the best senior hockey players he knew, but he was also committed to staying in shape through cycling and competed in numerous cycling events like the Granfondo every year he knew him, said Joyce.
含羞草研究社淗e was an avid cyclist and I knew he had cycled regularly in Europe with friends. I also knew he did a lot of these long-distance type cycling races. I don含羞草研究社檛 know how many times he had competed in Penticton, but I do know he had competed in a lot of these long races elsewhere.含羞草研究社�
When he received the news on Sunday that Clark had died so tragically, it really hit him hard, said Joyce.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 still so stunned,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭he guy was in superb shape. He was thin and super fit and always appeared to be in such excellent shape.含羞草研究社�
Having to inform his fellow hockey friends what happened is not going to be easy, said Joyce.
含羞草研究社淗e was one of the best hockey players out there in the group we含羞草研究社檝e been with for many years,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淗e was a very nice guy and everyone liked him. This is tough.含羞草研究社�
Clark was a retired RCMP officer who worked out of the Squamish detachment for many years, then switched to a career in workplace safety for more than 20 years, said Mullen.
In a statement from the Okanagan Grandfondo, organizers of the event expressed their sympathies to the family.
"The Okanagan Granfondo Penticton team is deeply saddened by the non-event-related tragedy that happened today at our event. We are heavy-hearted and our thoughts are with those affected," reads the statement.
