Joetta Clark Diggs Is an Olympic Athlete Who Has Made an Indelible Impact in Sports And

Joetta Clark Diggs is an Olympic athlete who has made an indelible impact in sports and within the community. In her legendary 24-year elite career as a half-mile runner, Clark Diggs represented the United States of America at the 1998, 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic games. She has also made her contribution to society as an inspiring motivational speaker, respected businesswoman, critically acclaimed author, noted television personality and advocate for children’s health & fitness initiatives.

During her career running in both the 800 and 1,500 meter competitions, Clark Diggs was ranked among the Top-10 Americans for over 21 years. From 1991 until 1998, she was ranked in the Top-10 in the world and was an 11-time USA National Champion. She ascended to her highest career ranking by reaching Number Four in the world 1998.

From 1979 until 2000, the year she officially retired, Clark Diggs competed in 20 USA Indoor and Outdoor Championships and five Olympic Trials. She was victorious in five of the last eight Trials she raced in and was in the national championship race in 18 of the last 19 years she competed. In addition, she has set World and American records, captured World Championship medals and served as the Captain of the Women’s USA Team in 2000.

The New Jersey-native established the Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation in 2002 to promote involvement with physical activities for girls and boys in grades K-12. The Foundation is committed to teaching good health and positive work ethics associated with participation in sports. In addition, it strives to introduce different opportunities to children in the sports and entertainment industries and focuses on the correlation between academics and athletics. The Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation annual programs include the Financial & Fitness Expo, the Head 2 Toe® Fitness program, the Fitness Challenge and Joetta’s Geniuses. The Foundation has brought happiness and education to over 50,000 children in the area.

Clark Diggs is also the President of Joetta Sports & Beyond, LLC] ( where she delivers messages of health, fitness and empowerment to corporations, colleges, medical programs and civic organizations. In 2009, she authored her first book Joetta’s “P” Principles For Success: Life Lessons Learned From Track & Field. The acclaimed book has been considered a tremendous resource to both corporate executives and to the youth.

Clark Diggs left her mark while competing at the University of Tennessee. While in Knoxville, she was a nine-time NCAA champion and 15-time All-American. In the classroom, she earned an undergraduate degree in Public Relations and would later be inducted into the University of Tennessee Hall of Fame in 2001.

Clark Diggs is not the only athlete who accomplished greatness in her family though. In 2000, Clark Diggs was joined by younger sister Hazel Clark, sister-in-law Jearl Miles Clark and their coach, brother JJ to make Olympic history as the only family to comprise all three sports on the Olympic Team in the same event. In addition, she is the daughter of Jetta Clark and noted national educator and Principal Dr. Joe Clark, who was portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the popular motion picture, “Lean On Me”.

In 1997, Clark Diggs was appointed by the Governor as Commissioner for the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority where along with seven fellow Commissioners she was responsible for helping to ensure that the Meadowlands Sports Complex served as both a national and international model for sports, racing entertainment and exposition industries. Clark Diggs also fought against drugs as a special investigator in the Drug Diversion section of the New Jersey Attorney General’s office.

In 2013, Clark Diggs was named for induction into the prestigious New Jersey Hall of Fame in a class that included Alice Guy Blache, Bobbi Brown, Raymond Chambers, President Grover Cleveland, Celia Cruz, Whitney Houston, Governor Thomas Kean, Thomas Paine, Joe Piscopo, David Sarnoff, “Jersey Joe” Walcott and Dionne Warwick. Also among her long list of career honors has been her induction into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame, Star-Ledger Women Athlete of the Century, member of the Circle of Red (American Heart Association), Board Member of the Raritan Valley Community College and many more.

She has been featured on a variety of broadcast outlets including MSNBC, CNN, BET’s “Our World”, WABC-TV’s “Here & Now”, WNBC-TV’s ‘Positively Black” as well as Q104.3-FM’s “Sonstein Sunday”.

Clark Diggs is married to Ronald Diggs and they have one child.

Community Honors

Spokesperson for the Mayors Wellness Campaign, 2011-Present

Spokesperson for EmPoWER Somerset, 2010-Present

Partner with Harvest of Hope, 2007-Present

GSA Depot Park & Recreation Advisory Committee, 2009-2010

Appointed to the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, 1997-2005

The Business Partnership of Somerset County, 2001-2003
USA Track & Field-Committee Member to review banned substance cases, 1994 – 1997

Professional Honors

Inducted in the NJ Hall of Fame, Class of 2013

Unveiling of 36×36 Oil Portrait in Hillsborough, NJ for Outstanding Community Service 2012

Speaker for the Go Red For Women Events, American Heart Association 2012

Honoree for the John Hunter Memorial Camp Fund-Inducted into the Robert Douglas Hall of Fame 2012

Selected Garden State Women of the Year for Non Profit, 2009

Appointed to the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, 1997- 2005

The Business Partnership of Somerset County 2001-2003

Chosen as Sports Illustrated Hometown Hero Received the VISA Humanitarian Award 1998

Distinguished Honoree Award-Somerset County Commission on Status of Women, 2001

Received Key to the City of Newark, 1990

Received New Jersey Pioneer of the 90’s Award

Track & Field Honors

4-Time Olympian: 1988, 1992, 1996 & 2000 Olympian

Inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame, 2009

Inducted into the University of Tennessee Hall of Fame, 2001

Featured on MSNBC News Broadcast, CNN and in Jet Magazine

Selected to Who’s Who of American Women – 2000

Selected by the NJ Star Ledger as the Women Athlete of the Century

Competed in every outdoor USA Championship or Olympic Trials since 1979

Ranked among the top 10 Americans for 21 years

Ranked in the top 10 in the world from 1991 to retirement in 2000 at the age of 38

Represented the USA on four Olympic teams in the 800m

Selected as the Women’s USA Olympic Track & Field Captain in 2000

Inducted into Penn Relays Hall of Fame 2004

Inducted into Millrose Games Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden 2002

Featured in Women’s Sports and Fitness Magazine

Featured Documentary on Madison Square Garden Network

Received New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Distinguished Award 2001

PO Box 6262 * Hillsborough, NJ 08844 * *