The significance of The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal is more relevant to Connor Clarke than most.
Several years ago, the talented young reinsman navigated his way through Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with the support and expertise of the doctors and nurses at the hospital.
“I had just turned 14 and got back pain that nothing seemed to fix until I finally had an MRI and it lit up like Christmas,” Clarke said.
“I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and was taken straight to The Royal Children’s Hospital.”
With almost his entire body wracked with the disease, Clarke called the world-renowned hospital home for the following six months.
“It is such a busy facility, there are doctors and nurses everywhere all doing such a great job,” he said.
At the time Clarke was blissfully unaware of the gravity of his plight.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but the doctors weren’t confident that I could be cured as Stage 4 is pretty heavy and it was everywhere in my body,” he said.
“Apparently they gave me a 30 per cent chance of surviving it, but they weren’t going to tell a 14-year-old kid that.”
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The prospect of getting back in the sulky steeled Clarke for the battle ahead, and two months after receiving the outstanding news that he was in remission the Ballarat-based fledgling harness racing driver took out his hometown pony trot cup.
“They didn’t tell me when I could start driving horses again, so I couldn’t wait to get back into it as soon as I got home from hospital,” he said.
Just a month shy of his 19th birthday, Clarke has established himself as one of the state’s most capable concession reinsmen boasting 125 career wins.
Clarke works at the Bannockburn stables of Geoff Webster and takes the reins behind two of the stable’s muster at Stawell’s Good Friday race meeting.
“Andaman Bay was good in winning at Ballarat last start and should be improved by the one run back from a spell, and has the gate speed to hold up from the pole which is a big advantage around Stawell,” he said.
Clarke teams up with the Webster-trained debutant Admiralofthefleet earlier in the day.
“We’ve drawn the inside of the back row, so I’ll be looking to get off the pegs as soon as I can and get around them. Although he is still green, he has the ability,” he said.
Clarke is looking forward to a healthy and successful career in the sport he loves.
“I’ve gone from monthly to six-monthly check-ups, and all going well then once a year - I got lucky.”
TUNE IN at STAWELL on Good Friday
First Race: 1.14pm Last Race: 5.38pm
Racecaller: Luke Humphreys with Toby McKinnon and Tim O'Connor on TrotsVision.
TrotsVision: WATCH LIVE
SEN Track: LISTEN LIVE
RSN 927: LISTEN LIVE
Winner of the Week
SIMPLY SHAZ, by American Ideal out of Simply Stunning, in the Empress Stakes at Gloucester Park on March 31.
Breed your next winner with Woodlands Stud, supporter of Trots Centre
