A dual journey of perseverance | Jaryd Clifford and Matt Clarke

Separated in location but united in spirit, two of Australia’s top distance runners are laser focused on their goals. For steeplechaser Matt Clarke, it’s being in form for his second Olympic Games, while the pursuit of Paralympic gold drives Jaryd Clifford’s every move. 

Their stories seem disconnected upon first glance, but intertwine through friendship as Clarke also prepares to become Clifford’s eyes on the track as his friend’s guide runner in Paris.

“Being Jaryd’s guide at a major championships has been in talks for years, but around the domestic season this year, it got seriously discussed,” Clarke said.

“For me there wasn’t too much thought that went into it to be honest. He asked, and I said if you want me there, of course. Unequivocally. As long as it doesn’t interrupt my training plans for Paris, I am happy to be by your side.’”

As the pair prepare for a full circle moment, the duo reflect on where their friendship began. In 2017 when Clifford was preparing for the Melbourne 10km Road Race, he was searching for a guide runner to get him through the course. For a vision-impaired runner, navigating a road course can become a need. 

“I hadn’t met Clarkey yet but he came through a recommendation. The first time we met, he came down to the track in Diamond Valley and got on the other end of a home-made tether that my mum had made, and we did a couple of laps and he was really good,” Clifford said.

“That was seven years ago and while he is a different athlete and different person to who he is now, the one constant is that if I need him, he is always there.”

As a physiotherapist, Clarke will lean into his strength of helping others to navigate the challenge that the next two months will bring – including that of becoming the first Australian Olympian to line up on the track at the Paralympics.   

“One thing that will help me a lot is that the Olympics is about focusing on me, and then a shift happens after that. Jaryd becomes the cornerstone,” he said.

“Taking the mindset away from being ‘the’ athlete and transforming into a support role will help the psychological comedown that can happen after a big event, and it gives me an external role that I need to focus on. It’s not about me, it’s about my friend.”

And it’s Clarke’s consideration and kindness that Clifford values most.

“Tim (Logan, Clifford’s other sighted guide) would be the only other person that knows me that well from a training partner perspective. With Clarkey, when he’s guiding me, I feel really comfortable knowing he is all in,” Clifford said.

“He’s present and he’s selfless in that regard. We’ve got a relationship where we’re frank and honest in the past and we’ve always come out the other side much stronger.”

The Tokyo Olympian gushes about his comrade and countryman in much the same way, highlighting their unique bond.

“At one point, just before Nationals this year when things weren’t going too well, I called Jaryd and I said I didn’t know if I wanted to keep going, but I had to keep training anyway – for him. It helped keep me in the game in my darker moments, and you could say that Jaryd has helped me keep the Olympic dream alive as well,” Clarke said.

“He has this personality streak that inspires other people and it’s easy to feed off. He’s become my go-to person and gives me good perspective. I look at what he is doing for para sport and if he can juggle all of that and be a world record holder, it proves I can reach my goals too.”

Together, Logan and Clarke will support the three-time Paralympic medallist through the 5000m T12 – a race that demands focus, strategy and communication if Clifford is to reach his goal.  Logan will be on the start line with Clifford for the first leg of the 12 and a half laps around the track, with Clarke geared up to be there for the moment of triumph. 

“We play a pretty equal role. A good comparison is a cycling team in how they peel off. The more Tim can put out on the track, the fresher I can be for the finish. The better he goes, the better Jaryd and I can go,” Clarke said.

“It’s different for Tim and I because we have known each other for a very long time and have the same stride pattern. We’re similar in stature so it comes naturally, but for Clarkey, he needs to alter his natural gait. He claims it comes easy to him because he’s a steeplechaser, but I think it comes down to his personality,” Clifford said.

“They’re by far the best at it. It makes a lot of sense why Tim is so good, but Clarkey, we’re very different biomechanically but he’s really in tune with me and he communicates so concisely and effectively in a manner that I can understand in a race.

“It’s exciting to know I’ll stand on the start line with one best mate, before one of the biggest moment of my life, and then he’ll hand it over to my other best mate. It’s going to be a pretty special moment.”

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted 19/07/2024