FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- Push-ups, sit-ups - and skating'
That's how 51-year-old Staff Sgt. Toure Clark stays physically fit.
Now he's on a mission to show the Fort Jackson community that roller skating isn't just for kids - that the sport is "all grown up" and can be a fun workout for everyone.
"I'm living proof that our older generation can be the fit generation," said Clark, who travels the world entertaining Soldiers in hopes to encourage them to take up what was once one of America's favorite pastimes and turn it into an entertaining way to stay in shape.
Clark, unit supply noncommissioned officer-in-charge for Company E, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, didn't learn to skate until he was 23.
He said a friend took him to a rink in Alexandria, Va., in 1984 and introduced him to skating, which had become very popular in the 1980s.
The mobilized Reservist became passionate about learning how to "dance on wheels."
On any given Friday or Saturday night, Clark could be found in the packed rink practicing his moves.
But just as he learned how to keep up on his feet, Clark, a Marine at the time, received orders to Okinawa, Japan.
Once he arrived in Japan, he discovered the only roller skating rink at Okinawa.
"This roller skating rink was a hidden gem," Clark said.
There, he not only improved his skating skills, but he also met other service members, become acquainted with Japanese civilians and learned to speak Japanese.
When he moved back to the United States a few years later, he brought his passion for roller skating and his advanced skills with him.
He later became the president of the Augusta Georgia Jamskaters, a professional roller skating group that travels to military installations worldwide showcasing skating talents. The group has performed in FMWR and B.O.S.S talent shows, during the pre-show opening act of the 2009 U.S Army Soldier Show, and auditioned for America's Got Talent last year.
Today, 26 years after he put on his first pair of skates, Clark said he's in the best shape of his life.
Staff Sgt. Winora Hoyle, a Reservist with Company B, 321st Regiment, shared that sentiment.
"He's tremendously fit," Hoyle said of Clark, who is at the rink skating at least three times per week. "He's getting a great cardiovascular workout every time."
Hoyle, who serves as vice president of the Jamskaters, said she is impressed by Clark's ability.
"He's a master skater," she said of Clark. "He's excellent. He has so many free-style moves."
Hoyle and Clark both said they encourage anyone to take up the sport.
"Skating is for all ages," Hoyle said. "It's fun, it's family oriented and it's great exercise for anybody."
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