Vancouver man who died in Okanagan GranFondo ‘remarkable cyclist’

Article content

Two longtime friends of the man who died while competing in the Okanagan Granfondo on Sunday remain in shock after confirming their buddy Greg Clark died tragically while competing in the long-distance cycling race Sunday in Penticton.

Article content

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 died doing what he loved is still hard to grasp.

However, they said playing hockey, cycling and staying fit were an integral part of who he was.

“I played hockey with Greg for quite a few years and he was just an outstanding player,” said Mullen. “Another 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.

“He was quite a remarkable cyclist. I can remember many times we’d be climbing a massive hill and I’d be exhausted and he’d be waiting for me at the top. I’d ask him how did you manage to get up so quickly. He’d smile and say ‘what hill’ … I didn’t see one.”

Article content

Article content

Clark was as nice a person as he was gifted as an athlete, said Mullen.

“He’s the mildest person that I know,” he said. “He smiled more often than anyone else I know. I also don’t 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’t have an ounce of fat on him. It’s just really hard to believe.”

Organizers said the death was “non-event-related,” though they didn’t go into more detail about what happened.

“The Okanagan Granfondo Penticton team is deeply saddened by the non-event-related tragedy that happened (Sunday) at our event,” said a statement from a race spokesperson. “We are heavy hearted and our thoughts are with those affected.”

Article content

Mullen said 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.

“He just loved doing that sort of thing,” he said. “I’d ask him, ‘What project are you working on next?’ I don’t ever recall him saying I’ve got nothing to do and nothing I’m working on. He’d finish one project and be starting on another.”

Clark had a special relationship with his daughter Heather and they competed together in numerous cycling events over the past several years, said Mullen.

“Greg and Heather had completed some of the most demanding cycling tours together and it was remarkable what they accomplished,” he said. “They competed in the big race in Whistler numerous times and that race is known for how hilly and difficult it is.”

Article content

Joyce also had nothing but great things to say about Clark.

“He wasn’t a close friend of mine, but I played old-timers hockey with him for many years,” said Joyce, in a phone call Monday morning from the same neighbourhood where Clark lived. “He was a very good hockey player and we all knew he cycled a lot. We both played in … a league at UBC (University of British Columbia). He actually lives about five blocks from me on the west side of Vancouver near UBC.”

Not only was Clark one of the best senior hockey players he knew, 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.

“He 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’t know how many times he had competed in Penticton, but I do know he had competed in a lot of these long races elsewhere.”

Article content

When he received the news on Sunday that Clark had died so tragically, it really hit him hard, said Joyce.

“I’m still so stunned,” he said. “The guy was in superb shape. He was thin and super fit and always appeared to be in such excellent shape.”

Having to inform his fellow hockey friends what happened is not going to be easy, said Joyce.

“He was one of the best hockey players out there in the group we’ve been with for many years,” he said. “He was a very nice guy and everyone liked him. This is tough.”

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.

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber: For just $14 a month, you can get unlimited access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

Article content