Former American Gladiators star Debbie Clark, known as Storm, has died at her home in Boston aged 61. Her brother Steven said her pacemaker 'gave out' after she had been 'overworking herself'. Clark died in her son Crayton's arms as they waited for paramedics, who were unable to resuscitate her. Her son believes she suffered cardiac arrest.
Son's tribute and fundraiser
Crayton had moved to the same apartment complex as his mother to spend time with her and care for her. He has set up a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses and hopes to spread her ashes with those of her mother.
On the fundraising page, he wrote: 'My mom was an amazing mother, she was everything to me, she was my world. She passed 2 days ago. It's been insanely hard for me mentally because I relied on her for everything.'
'She was a strong woman, but sometimes the strongest people struggle the most.' Crayton said his mother had been 'struggling with heart problems' but kept that hidden as she 'still wanted people to see her as a warrior'.
'I would like to be able to spread her ashes with her mother so I can finally feel like she's at rest with the one she loved the most,' he shared. 'I'm already struggling because she didn't leave me with much because she didn't have much material-wise, but she made up for it in love and kindness.'
So far, just over half – $1,800 (£1,324) – of the $3,500 (£2,575) goal has been raised by donations.
Gladiators career and legacy
Clark joined American Gladiators in 1991, taking over from competitor Gold who had suffered an injury. The name Storm was adopted due to her 'blowing away' the producers with her performance, and she became a series regular until 1993. After two years on the show, Clark retired due to a serious ACL injury. She reportedly faced homelessness and hardship after leaving the series.
Gladiators' official Instagram page shared a tribute to the late 'athlete, performer, survivor, mother and Gladiator.' The post noted that she had 'faced significant challenges in her personal life' but had spoken about it with 'remarkable openness'. According to the obituary, her funeral will be a private service in Massachusetts.
