Boy Born without Lower Body & No One Wanted to Adopt Finally Finds a Mom, Breaks Guinness World Record

A boy set an excellent example of perseverance after being born with a rare syndrome and spending the first seventeen years of his life in foster care homes. The Guinness World Record holder's life is an incredible journey where he did not let his past define his future.

Zion Clark, 25, is an athlete, besides being an actor, entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker. He is among the few people with over a million followers on Instagram, inspiring people to never settle for less.

Clark was born with a rare disease called Caudal Regression Syndrome, which meant he had an underdeveloped lower part of the body. His birth mother's negligence caused his condition, but he didn't let his disability stop him from achieving his dreams.

After living a difficult life where he faced bullying and problems that no kids his age could understand, Clark broke the world record for walking on his hands the fastest covering 20 meters, sealing his name in the Guinness World Records.

Finding success and fame was not easy for the young man. "My journey through life has been tough. I've been through some very dark places and experiences in my life," he said,

Clark uses social media to motivate the masses. He shares his journey to inspire others not to lose hope during the most challenging times of their lives. "I post the content I do because I want people to see that our biggest limitation is our mindset. I want people to see that we are capable of so much, do the things you love to do, and that make you happy," he said.

After living his life in and out of different foster homes, Clark finally found someone who didn't bully or look down on him. Instead, she welcomed him into her home with open arms and raised him like her own son.

Why Was Zion Clark Born with a Rare Condition and When Did He Find His Adoptive Mother?

When Clark's birth mother was pregnant with him, she didn't take care of herself. Instead, she had been taking several drugs, which introduced abnormalities in Clark's growth, ultimately leading to the rare birth defect.

Born with Caudal Regression Syndrome, Clark underwent two surgeries to help him sit upright. Moreover, his birth mother did not raise him. Instead, he was up for adoption soon after his birth, unaware of where fate would take him.

Being a part of the foster care system and moving from one house to another was a nightmare for Clark. He grew up being bullied by other children and never got the love and care he deserved. He recalled:

"I did get bullied when I was a kid. I got shoved in lockers. I have been beat up pretty bad."

Clark could have lost hope for a better future, but he chose not to. His resilience and perseverance led him to become one of the best athletes. "I was just like, you know what, I am not going to be weak anymore," he recalled. "And then I just put in the work as much as I could do every day. I was going to two or three wrestling practices a day, seven days a week."

Going to wrestling practices taught Clark much about the sport, eventually making him "one of the best guys in the state." Besides edging out his competitors in wrestling, one event changed everything in Clark's life―finding his adoptive mother.

When the young boy reached the age where foster care authorities couldn't care for him anymore, and there was no hope of helping him find a new home, he was introduced to Kimberli Hawkins.

Hawkins immediately agreed when asked if she would like to adopt Clark because she had always dreamt of having a son. Five years after the adoption, Clark said it was "the best thing that has ever happened" to him. The mother-son duo share a close bond, and Clark considers her his biological mother.

What Is Zion Clark's Biggest Motivation?

Receiving demeaning remarks as a child and experiencing bullying only strengthened Clark. His unpleasant experiences made him resilient, and that's when he decided to show the world that his disability was his superpower.

When Clark began posting videos and photos of himself on Instagram, he didn't know he would soon become a world record holder. In one of his videos, he was seen running on his hands, after which he attempted to set a new record.

With the support of his family and the help of his trainer, Clark became the fastest person walking on hands on a 20m track. Adding his name to the Guinness Book of World Records increased his list of achievements and his followers on his social media accounts.

Having a larger audience, Clark began impacting more people with his inspirational story. He advocates for people with disabilities, telling them to stay determined and focus on their goals if they want to achieve big things in life. He also presents his life story as an inspiration to people stuck in difficult situations.

In a February 2022 interview, Clark revealed, "I am currently training with my manager and trainer Craig Levinson on preparing to be the first-ever Olympian and Paralympian athlete at the same Olympic Games in Paris 2024."

He plans to compete in wrestling and run on a 100m track on his hands. Besides that, the young man is looking for acting roles and aims to improve the foster care system so other foster kids don't have to experience what he did.

Click here to read another story about a woman with a disability who gets rejected by multiple men who think she "isn't worth loving" before a man drops to one knee to propose to her.