Hazel Clark Isn’t Just Running the Race — She’s Redefining the Finish Line

Before Hazel Clark ever set foot on an Olympic track, she was already outrunning limits most people never even dared to test.

Today, she’s a three-time Olympian, a seven-time national champion, a global business executive, and a mother. But behind the glossy titles and podium memories is a woman who’s been sprinting toward purpose her entire life—and bringing people with her every step of the way.

Now living between Bermuda and New Jersey, Hazel serves as the Director of Sports Development for the Bermuda Tourism Authority, where she’s not just promoting sports tourism—she’s transforming it. She’s turned a tropical island into an international hub for athletics and wellness, blending strategy with soul. Her job is to make Bermuda a destination. Her mission? To make sure the journey there means something.

Her story begins not under stadium lights, but under the no-nonsense glare of her father, Joe Clark—the famed high school principal whose fearless leadership inspired the film Lean on Me. Hazel, the youngest of the Clark siblings, grew up immersed in that bold, sometimes brutal, but always honest version of leadership. There were no shortcuts in the Clark household—only expectations, and the drive to exceed them.

By the time she hit the track at Columbia High School, it was clear: Hazel wasn’t just fast—she was formidable. She eventually accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Florida, where her older brother J.J. coached her. There, she became a legend.

Four NCAA titles. Three NCAA indoor championships. An unbroken SEC record. She didn’t just win—she dominated, setting a standard that remains untouched. Her front-running style was fearless, her strategy meticulous. By the time she left college, Hazel wasn’t just one of the most decorated middle-distance runners in collegiate history—she was the one to beat.

In 2000, she delivered a moment the world would never forget: leading a historic Olympic Trials sweep for her family and earning her place as a U.S. Olympian. She would go on to represent her country in not one, not two, but three Olympic Games. But what people don’t always see behind the flag and fire is the weight she carried—of expectation, of family legacy, of proving herself again and again in a world that often expected less from women like her.

And when the track lights dimmed? Hazel didn’t.

While many athletes struggled transitioning to “real life,” Hazel reinvented herself without skipping a beat. She pivoted into brand deals, strategy meetings, and stages—serving as Executive Director of the Georgia Track Club, running Coca-Cola’s Global Sports Marketing efforts, directing elite youth events like the Georgia Meet of Champions, and launching training camps for teens who wanted more than just medals. She brought that same fierce energy to everything she touched—turning ideas into institutions.

Her impact didn’t stop at the U.S. border. As a U.S. Sports Envoy with the State Department, Hazel has taken her passion global—building sports and education initiatives in underserved communities around the world. Through partnerships with groups like World Learning Organization, she’s taught kids how to believe in themselves long before they cross a finish line.

And she’s done it all with a style that’s impossible to teach: effortless, warm, razor-sharp.

You’ve probably seen her without realizing it—in Nike campaigns, instructional videos, or commercials for Hershey and Home Depot. But she’s never been interested in just being a face. Hazel makes sure her image represents something real: power, balance, and authenticity. She’s proof that women can be ambitious and nurturing, glamorous and grounded, unapologetically excellent and emotionally accessible.

Today, at the Bermuda Tourism Authority, Hazel has created a new lane entirely. She’s spearheaded initiatives that have helped turn Bermuda into a serious player in the global sports scene—curating world-class events, forming strategic partnerships, and bringing the community into the spotlight with her. She’s not just developing tourism; she’s building legacy infrastructure. And she’s doing it in a way that centers local voices and promotes real, lasting equity.

To Hazel, tourism isn’t just about business—it’s about storytelling. Who gets to be seen? Who gets to feel welcome? Who benefits from the spotlight?

She brings those questions to every board she sits on—from the Lyles Brothers Sports Foundation to her work mentoring emerging talent. And when she’s not sitting in a meeting or scouting her next international partnership, she’s speaking on stages that matter. Her TEDx Cape May talk was a masterclass in transparency, where she laid bare the unfiltered truth of growing up in the orbit of a man like Joe Clark—and how she took that pressure and forged her own path through it.

Still, there’s nothing performative about Hazel’s leadership. It’s not for applause. It’s not for legacy plaques. It’s for the people watching her—especially the young girls who’ve never seen someone quite like them move this way through the world.

When she’s home, she’s not the Olympian or the executive. She’s mom. She’s wife. She’s running partner. She lives the wellness she preaches—balancing high-powered meetings with ocean runs and unhurried moments with her daughter. Her life isn’t about escaping the grind; it’s about mastering it on her terms.

And maybe that’s the real magic of Hazel Clark. She doesn’t force herself into rooms—she reshapes them. She doesn’t chase relevance—she defines it. She doesn’t just run races—she makes sure the finish line is somewhere worth getting to.

Hazel Clark isn’t done. She’s evolving. Reinventing. Still out front, still pulling others along, still proving that greatness isn’t a moment—it’s a rhythm.

And she’s keeping it.