BIO

My Story

Why do I run? Because it's there. Because I can. Because why not? Because there was a time when I couldn't. 
Hi Everyone! My name is Alyssa Clark (just changed from Amos) and I am a 25 year old Ultra-Marathon runner based out of Naples Italy. I grew up living on a mountain in the Green Mountains of Vermont and spent much of my childhood hiking, playing lacrosse, soccer, cross country skiing and any other sport I could be a part of. One thing was for sure though, I despised running for the sake of running. It was not until I attended Stratton Mountain School for Cross-Country skiing in high school, that I began to fall in love with long distance hiking and running. But there was another reason too. 
Just before middle school, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis which is an autoimmune disease that affects the digestive system. For some reason I began to turn to running as a place of freedom and strength against the disease. At 14 years old, my disease became life-threatening and could not be controlled by medication. I had emergency surgery to remove my colon and had a temporary ileostomy for 3 months before I had a second surgery to reverse the ileostomy. Running was my companion throughout the illness. It was my way to prove to myself I was not sick. At my lowest point in my illness, I was so weak and had lost so much weight I could not get out of bed. I was ready to give up on life. Every second since my surgery has been an expression of my thankfulness in being given a second chance. I started running as soon as I could after recovering from my surgeries and haven’t stopped since. Running is my freedom and joy. It was a way for me to overcome my illness, and prove my disease could not stop me. Now it is a life passion, a part of my identity and something that has allowed me to see and experience the world.