Debbie Clark, known to the world as Storm from American Gladiators, has died at the age of 61.
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TMZ reported that she died in her Boston home on Monday, citing her brother Steven. Clark had a pacemaker, and the family believes it stopped working.
Her son Crayton told TMZ that he thinks the pacemaker stopped because Clark was overworking herself. He also told the outlet that his mother died in his arms as they waited for the paramedics to arrive.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate her when they arrived, but she was already gone.
Clark joined American Gladiators in 1991 to replace the injured Gold, according to an American Gladiators fan group on Facebook. Originally, she applied to be a contender, but producers were so amazed by her prowess, they made her a Gladiator instead.
They allegedly gave her the name Storm because she had “blown them all away.” Her best events were Powerball and Joust.
In addition to competing, Clark also sang the National Anthem before competition on the American Gladiators Live Tour.
Sadly, an ACL injury in 1993 ended her time on the show. She was featured in the Netflix docuseries Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators in 2023.
Clark was born Deborah Grace Clark on April 14, 1965 in Connecticut, according to her obituary.
“Loving, courageous, and compassionate, she left a lasting mark on everyone she met and will be remembered for her radiant smile and her fierce passion for life,” it reads.
Crayton, her only child, has started a GoFundMe so that he can afford to spread her ashes after her death.
“She was a strong woman, but sometimes the strongest people struggle the most,” he wrote. “I understand why some people looked up to her, as did I, but sometimes your heroes are dealing with their own demons.”