Dan Nitro Clark

Looking for a last minute Christmas gift?  I've got something that will make a PERFECT stocking-stuffer and has zero calories.  It's even kind of heavy.  One could perhaps lift it over and over again and blast a few calories.  

More than anything this gift will ease the eternal chatter in ones brain and ease up on the straightjacket of consciousness for a few seconds. 

What is this thing? 

It's a book.  Humbly, my book:  Gladiator – A True Story of Roids, Rage and Redemption.

My powers of persuasion are not great. Instead I share with you  what others other are saying about this last minute stock-stuffer:

    I stumbled across this article in Time Magazine.  I’m sure it’s going to create a lot of controversy. We all KNOW childhood obesity is an out of control epidemic and it’s only going to get worse until we figure out how to EDUCATE, MOTIVATE and EMPOWER Americas youth. I’m working with a partner to create a program called "Ten Thousand Pounds." It’s our attempt at tackling the adolescent obesity epidemic.

    That being said, I’m not so sure taking kids away from parents is the right solution. Regardless it’s happening more and more.  I think parents are indeed responsible for their child’s well-being, and letting a child become morbidly obese can be critically dangerous for the child’s health. But how much are the parents to be blamed?  We have a food industry that spends over 30 billion dollars a year on only marketing that entices us to eat.  Are we, are parents, are kids, really at fault for succumbing to their desires?  

I think the 33 percent of the population who doesn’t have a weight issue — will say the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the parents.  But what about the other 66 percent of Americans, the majority of the population, who are overweight?  How can they expect their children to do something they themselves cannot?  They can’t.  That’s EXACTLY why we have an adolescent obesity epidemic.  The trickle down effect from parents to kids is immeasurable.  

Here’s part of the article from Time Magazine:  

Should morbidly obese children be taken from their parents? That’s the question an increasing number of countries are grappling with amid the Western world’s obesity epidemic.

The latest case to make headlines concerns a Scottish couple who lost custody of two of their six children on the basis of what was, their lawyer claims, a failure to reduce the kids’ weight following warnings from Scottish social services. The couple lost their Oct. 14 appeal in a case that is far from clear-cut — representatives of Dundee City say they would never remove children "just because of a weight issue." But obesity appears to be the primary reason South Carolina mom Jerri Gray lost custody of her 14-year-old, 555-lb. son in May. She was arrested after missing a court date to examine whether she should retain custody after doctors had expressed concern about her son’s weight to social services. The boy is currently living with his aunt, and his mother is facing criminal child-neglect charges.  Full Article here.

If it was up to you what would you do?  Would you take a morbidly obese kid away from their parents? Take into consideration childhood protection laws have changed, and if you (social worker) don’t report the parent, you could get in trouble.  Again, what would you do?  

Be well,

Dan Clark

Technorati Tags: Dan Clark, Dan Nitro Clark, Gladiators, American Gladiators, obesity, obesity epidemic, childhood obesity, Time Magazine, Overweight kids, weight loss for kids, lose weight,

I had an interesting interchange with a young friend of mine about whether or not he should take steroids. I know a little about the subject being that I took them for over 20 years.  

I say he's young – young to me, but he's not a kid.  I believe he's in his late 20's.  Not that I'm old like father time.  Hell, I just had my 45 birthday… but I'm wise in years of experience.  I've seen a lot in my life.  

Well, this friend of mine — we'll call him "Rick" — has been asking me a lot about steroids.  He's obsessed with them and what he thinks they will do for him and how they will change his life.  Just recently he said, "I'd love to be able to bench 500 pounds and scream and throw it on the rack, like you did when you were Nitro on "American Gladiators."  

The kid's a smart kid… he read my memoir Gladiator – A True Story of Roids, Rage and Redemption a few times.  So, I'm stunned my stance against steroids isn't crystal clear him.

I have to say, it feels odd now to be admired for being a Hercules who hoisted up heavy weights.  But at the time it meant everything.  I realize now it means nothing.  But what's different?  What's changed? And how do I share this with my young friend?  The best I could come up with is:  

I wish I would've spent more time building a life back when I was young — because eventually your body will fail you — it will grow old — but the life you build around will only continue to grow and blossom. 

I really hope he understands me.  It took me too many years to realize that: 

Steroids and drugs are a hopeless reach for happiness.  Because you'll never be big enough or strong enough or high enough to fill what is missing inside.  Eventually you'll have to learn the process of building a life, and realize that the honey, the reward, comes from putting your nose to the grindstone and walking toward a place you want to go.   

I dedicated my book to:

My son, my family, and that bright shining smile of nieces and nephews that became more important than the roar of the crowd.  

This distinction has made all the difference.   Even though he wasn't asking me for advice, I say this to my young friend: 

Build your life from the inside out.  Know that your enough.  And realize that where ever you go, there you will be. 

One of the main things people ask me about American Gladiators is the "Where are they now?" question. They want to know what I (Dan Clark aka Nitro) and the other Gladiators are doing.

Well, recently I had the pleasure of going into Shout Factory studios with Raye Hollit (Zap) and Jim Starr (Laser) to do commentary for the release of American Gladiators Season One.

The three of us spent the better part of the day watching episodes, laughing our asses off, and reminiscing about the good times. It's hard to believe how fast time has gone. It seemed like it was just yesterday when we were sporting our spandex, mullets and attitudes.  

I encourage all to go and get the AMERICAN GLADIATORS SEASON 1 DVD – there's a "BUY NOW" button on my home page www.DanNitroClark.com  

I'm sure it will unearth a lot of great memories! 

Wish the USC Trojans luck this year.  Michael Horton (Gemini) son's both play football for them.  

Spoke to Malibu not too long ago.  He's still hanging in the biz.  Sabre (Lynne Williams) now works with his brother-in-law D.L. Hughley.  Ice (Lori Fettrick) is my bud on FB and Twitter.  She's killin' in the Real Estate Market in the San Fernando Valley. Jazz (Victoria Gay) lives in Houston – still doing great as strong and dedicated as ever to training. 

The next thing people want to know is "What I look like now?"  

It was a rough journey coming clean off steroids. 'Roids certainly did a number on my body, but over the last few years I've done countless hours or research and experimentation and discovered  a lot of great supplements and superfoods that have helped build my body back.  

I used to want to be the biggest, strongest guy in the gym.  Now, I'm content with being the "healthiest."  

This little distinction has made all the difference.

To satisfy those who are curious, here's a recent photo of me in Turks and Caicos at the Gansevoort hotel.

     Kicked it on the set of EXTRA with my long time bud Mario Lopez Friday.  We met at our first autograph session, a car show, in Ohio when he was 16 and I was uh… 17.  Well, I was just a little older than that.  But never in my wildest imagination did I think 19 years later he’d be hosting his own prime time show and I’d be on it because I’d just written:  GLADIATOR – A True Story of Roids, Rage, Redemption.  It’s amazing how life comes full circle.  I’m proud of Mario beyond belief – he’s doing a great job and still a great guy.   

Also, I did my first TV interview via satellite Thursday for a late night FOX show called "Red Eye" with Greg Gutfield. Satellite is a tricky thing.  I’m surprised most people, even those with a little media experience, just don’t incinerate right there on the sound stage.  Here’s how it’s set up.   I’m sitting on a stage at FOX in Los Angeles with an artillery of lights blasting my retinas — in the midst of them is one camera man.  That’s it.  Just him and I and — oh yeah — a really cute make up girl.   In my ear is a mic where I can hear the show live while it’s being filmed in NY.  It’s a round table comedy – news format, so there’s 4 people talking and jiving about the events of the day.  To me it sounds like I’m talking to a bud on the cell phone in the middle of a crowded airport.   In the face of the camera — the one that is point right at me –the one that I need to look into while doing the interview — is the live video feed of the show.  So basically you look into the camera and respond to the questions of the interviewer.  The only trick is there’s a THREE SECOND DELAY from what you’re hearing in your ear and seeing.  

Does that make sense?  

You are hearing the question 3 seconds before you see him actually ask you the question in the camera.   It’s freakin’ confusing.  Because you have to respond to the question in your ear when he asks it — not when you see him asking you it in the camera.  So, you’re actually answering the question in real time from what you’re hearing (and you can barely hear it because of all the static and poor feed)… while you’re watching him still ask you the question.   Finally , I had them turn the picture off in the camera, so essentially I was looking into a blank camera, pretending I was talking to someone, while answering the questions.   That being said, he was funny, and I think it went pretty damn good, even though all we talked about was steroids, and I didn’t get to go into depth on the book at all.  But I did work up a good sweat with nerves and adrenaline rushing full speed.   

Be Brilliant!

Dan Clark

Technorati Tags: Mario Lopez, American Gladiators, EXTRA, Red Eye, Steroids, Dan Clark, Nitro, Dan nitro Clark,  Greg Gutfield, FOX News, Steroids, Gladiator a True story of roids,

February the 9th 2009 is the official publication of my Memoir – GLADIATOR: A True Story of ‘Roids, Rage and Redemption.  There’s a couple of things you need to know about the book.  First of all, you need to know that I wrote the book.  There was no co-writer or ghost writer.  It was important to me that the words flowed from me straight to the page, in my voice, as a way authenticate the experience.  That being said, if it sucks… there is no one to blame but me, but that is a risk I take gladly.

Secondly, I didn’t write this book to “Pimp My Roid.”  If you’re looking for me to incriminate and throw people under the bus don’t read Gladiator.  Go read Jose Canseco’s book “Juiced.”  He throws everyone under the bus. But if you’re fascinated by an “insider” look or… What was it like to be a Gladiator? This book will be a revelation. There are parts (steroids) that are gut-wrenching, others that are gut-busting funny, and still others that are horrifying.  But most of all the book will be honest.  I felt the only way for me to really do justice to the subject matter was to really dig deep and open the vein.  So expect an powerful, honest, cathartic, frank, highly charged, emotional, experience.  It’ll be like a train wreck.  You won’t be able to look away!

Thirdly, the book is about so much more than Gladiators, and even though I take you on a dark journey in the book, my hope is that my humanity shines through. 

Lastly, I invite you to read a small excerpt of the book.  I really think you’ll be stunned. Thanks!

Read an excerpt now…

Shop is now open.  

First of all I want thank all of the people who supported me over the years.  The impact your support and kind words has had over the years is immeasurable. I’m still amazed at how many people come up to me on the streets and tell me they used to watch me on the American Gladiators.  It’s funny to hear people say I used to watch you as kid, cause I still feel like a kid myself, even though my body has begun to betray me a bit.  But I’ve always got a second to talk… so if you see me out and about please give me a whassup or a shout out or a simple hello.  I know I played “Nitro,” a bad ass on tv with a bunch of attitude, but that was only my game face. In reality, I’m very approachable and when you come up to me it makes my chicka think I’m cool.  Also feel free to drop me a line here and I’ll do my best to get back to everyone.