After facing a health crisis in his 40s, Terrance Clark began his quest for health, which landed him a new career and passion.
At 43, Terrance Clark had reached a point in his life where he desperately needed a change. Overweight and facing declining health, he realized he needed guidance to get back on the right track.
That nudge to get into bodybuilding came one day while Clark was on one of his walks.
A man driving past asked Clark why he was walking. “You have pretty big calves,” he said. Clark replied, just getting some exercise. The man said OK, cool, be safe and pulled away. Clark had never seen the guy before but ran into him again in line at Walmart a week later.
The man asked Clark, “Hey, are you the guy that was walking?” He then explained that his name was Matt and that he was a bodybuilder who was a training coach at a gym in Ocala. Clark had been certified for personal training and was looking for a gym to work at. Matt told Clark to come in and interview for a position at his gym.
“It was just timing out of nowhere. I would say God’s timing.”
This experience steered him toward discovering his passion for writing and bodybuilding, eventually leading him to establish his fitness training business, 3Fit, and write two books. Clark healed himself mentally and physically through bodybuilding and has helped others do the same.
Clark grew up in South Brooksville in a big family, surrounded by many cousins and five sisters. His neighborhood was a very close-knit community.
“It was very close and very easygoing. Everyone knew everybody.”
Since Clark grew up before cell phones, he spent most of his time outside playing basketball, football, marbles, wrestling and skateboarding.
“We rode our bikes, you know, doing wheelies in the neighborhood.”
When it was time for Clark to go to high school, he continued participating in sports. He was on the Springstead High School football, wrestling, weightlifting and track teams.
“It was just something that helped drive me. And so, in order to play sports, you had to do well in school. And so, I did what I was supposed to do in school,” he said.
Upon graduation, Clark’s dream was to play football for the University of Alabama, but his plans fell through when his mother got cancer. Instead, Clark joined the Navy so he could support his mother. Clark’s father had also been in the Air Force for about 27 years.
Clark chose to join the Navy because it offered him the chance to travel. Around the time he was considering joining the military, two other family members had already joined and were encouraging him to follow suit. He was eventually stationed on a supply ship in Earle, New Jersey.
After serving in the Navy for two years, Clark returned to Spring Hill and began playing minor league and semi-pro football off and on for a few years. He played for the Tampa Bay Bulldogs and the Hernando Eagles. While playing football, Clark worked at several companies before landing at a juvenile detention center in Citrus County, where he worked as a recreational therapist.
Working at the juvenile detention center led Clark into a challenging phase in his life. He struggled to watch the children cycle through the detention center, only to return to the same situation once they were released. The children had no way to apply the tools they learned in the program when they were placed back into an unsupportive environment. Working at the juvenile detention center led Clark to become certified in mental health coaching.
“Dealing with the kids, it sparked, you know, the transition, I would say the me understanding who I was and why I was there. So, the job no longer was a job. It was something that I enjoyed going to every day because I was able to interact with the kids, learn from them.”
During the same time, Clark was also struggling to stay healthy. Even though he was very active, Clark worked a lot and ate poorly, which led him to have low testosterone and high cholesterol. The doctors told him he was prediabetic.
“I was just in a not taking care of myself space and so when I finally got the awakening, I was sent to do a sleep study as well.”
The sleep study revealed that Clark had periods where he stopped breathing during sleep. In 60 seconds, he would stop breathing around eight times, each lasting up to six or seven seconds.
“It was enough to scare me into focusing on myself.”
To get back in shape, Clark started working out, at first focusing mainly on cardio to improve his fitness and avoid needing a sleep apnea machine. But later got into bodybuilding.
Clark’s goal was never to become a bodybuilder; he just wanted to get healthy. However, once he began bodybuilding, it awakened his competitive spirit and helped him overcome his illnesses. Clark is not currently competing in any shows but aims to start competing again when he turns 50.
“It’s like nothing else; it’s like no other sport because not only do you have to have mental toughness, but you get to see your rewards physically.”
Mikey Oliva, 38, owner of ProGear, met Clark after they competed against each other in a bodybuilding contest. They “hit it off” immediately because Oliva could tell how passionate Clark was about bodybuilding and that he was not just in it for the money. Oliva helped Clark on his bodybuilding journey through encouragement and helping him gain the confidence he needed to compete. Oliva also sponsored Clark for a couple of shows, covering his entry fee.
“I don’t think Terrance realized how fit he was. You know, from where he started to where he is.”
Competing in his first bodybuilding show, Clark was extremely nervous. He was physically prepared and felt confident about his progress, but he was still nervous because he was stepping out of his comfort zone.
“I remember a lot of times not feeling my feet because I was so nervous.”
While working as a bodybuilder, Clark had to stay disciplined and accountable for his actions. This meant cutting back on going out, carefully monitoring his diet, and dedicating countless hours to training in the gym. He had to acclimate to the mindset needed to be a bodybuilder, which he only realized he was missing once he competed in his first show.
In 2020, Clark started 3Fit to encourage others to embark on their fitness journey as well. 3Fit stands for the tenets of soul, mind and body. Clark’s goal for 3Fit is to gain nationwide recognition and establish his own facility in the near future.
Clark has over 25 clients and caters to people of all ages. He primarily works with women but likes training with young kids and the elderly. He also helps coach kids who are training for a specific sport.
“They’re equally gratifying because you get to watch an elderly person that continues to fight to be mobile because they understand the importance of it.”
Jodi LaRocca, 45, works for the Hernando County school system and has been training with Clark for about 14 months.
Working with Clark, she said, has helped her a lot mentally. She looks forward to working with Clark every week. Seeing the progress she has made helps her want to continue chasing her goals. Even on days when she’s not feeling her best, Clark always pushes her to strive to be her best.
“If I’m having a rough day, like coming here and working out totally turns around my mindset.
Clark has yet to get a physical location for 3Fit but is looking for a place between Brooksville and Spring Hill. He works out of his home and hosts training sessions at local gyms. He primarily uses ProGear, Planet Fitness and Epic Health & Fitness for his training sessions.
Clark gets the word out about his business mostly through word of mouth and social media. He said his most significant selling point is when his clients see results.
Melissa Caldarella, 47, is a district manager at Publix who has been training with Terrance Clark for about six months. She went to high school with Clark and began training with him after she saw the promotion he was doing on social media.
She said that Clark is very motivating to work with. He will text her on days when she does not go to the gym and say something encouraging to her.
“This morning, he texted me and told me that, like my motivation humbles him and stuff like that.”
Clark began writing his first book after going into depression and seeking counseling. Writing became a form of therapy for him. His first book, “Valued Vulnerability of a King,” is a collection of 30 poems published in August of 2022. He published his second book, Anima, in August of 2024.
Clark’s love of music inspired him to write poetry. He explained that listening to music while working on his books gave his poetry a natural cadence. His favorite genres include R&B, church music, and conscious rap.
Clark’s first book, “Valued Vulnerability of a King,” covers the burden of healing and everything from when he initially discovered his gift as a writer. His second book, “Anima,” is about being vulnerable and writing poetry as a man from a masculine mindset.
Clark said the difference between the two books was his spiritual connectivity. While working on his second book, he said he didn’t struggle as much to find the right words as he did with his first. He was also much more comfortable writing about himself and being vulnerable.
Clark said he is working on a third book that will continue like the previous books. He is also working to make his books available as audiobooks.
The book reflects what he has been through in every way, said Clark.
“It’s literally my life. Either I’ve seen it, heard it, been through, I’ve experienced it, and I’ve just given it my own spin on how I regurgitated it or how it felt.”
