Debbie 'Storm' Clark obit

American Gladiators Star Debbie 'Storm' Clark Dies at 61

 

She was not on the list.

Debbie Clark, who performed on the classic American Gladiators show using the name "Storm," has passed away. She was 61 years old.

Clark's brother, Steven, confirmed her passing to TMZ. He revealed that Clark died on Monday at her Boston home when her pacemaker gave out. Her son, Clayton, said that her pacemaker stopped working as Clark had been "overworking herself." She died in her son's arms while the family was waiting for paramedics. Though attempts were made to resuscitate her at the scene, she was already dead by the time help arrived. Clayton believes she died from cardiac arrest.

Clayton has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for a "loving farewell" to his mother. He described her as an "amazing mother," sharing that her sudden passing has been "insanely hard" for him to handle. His hope is to spread her ashes with her mother so she can "finally feel like she's at rest with the one she loved the most."

"She was a strong woman, but sometimes the strongest people struggle the most," Clayton wrote. "She carried me through life and is still with me in spirit, but the day she passed I knew I had to grow as a person. Since all I’ve known is my life with her I’m starting over. When she was alive she made everything easy for me; however she was struggling with heart problems which she hid from everyone as she still wanted people to see her as a warrior, as Storm. I understand why some people looked up to her, as did I, but sometimes your heroes are dealing with their own demons."

Clark joined American Gladiators in 1991 as a replacement for "Gold," who had to step down after suffering an injury. She was dubbed "Storm" because, as the producers of the show told her, she'd "blown them all away." Clark served as a regular on the show until 1993, at one point singing the national anthem at an American Gladiators event in addition to showing off her physical prowess. She had to retire as a performer after suffering a serious ACL injury.

According to a biography on the American Gladiators website, in 2008, Clark and her son Clayton fled from a domestic violence situation in South Carolina. The two were then living homeless in San Diego for nearly three years. She had difficulty finding work due to her knee injury and no family to help her. With the help of Embrace CEO Sean Sheppard, along with several other American Gladiators alums, her story caught the attention of The View's Sherri Shepherd, who paid for Clark and her son to have an apartment for six months. Dr. Dan Kalbac, the US Men's National Soccer Team doctor, performed knee replacement surgery for her for free to get her mobile again.

"Homelessness does not have any prejudice... you can end up in the same situation, it doesn't matter," Clark said of the situation.

Clark returned to the spotlight in 2023 when she was featured as one of the former Gladiators in the Netflix documentary series Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators. In the docuseries, she spoke about her personal struggles, including the difficulties in her life after leaving the show.