Two gold medals won in Dublin Jiu-Jitsu tournament by 60-year-old Rogers man

60-year-old MN man wins Jiu-Jitsu medals

Jim Clark of Rogers recently won two gold medals at an international Jiu-Jitsu tournament – at the prime age of 60-years-old. FOX 9’s Maury Glover has the story.

ROGERS, Minn. (FOX 9) - The black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is showing no signs of slowing down.

''Gladiator type combat'

What we know:

Jim Clark has been competing in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu for the last 17 years.

Now his passion for his favorite sport is taking him across the globe.

"It's something that I've always been fascinated with. It's quite a sensation, especially to compete at that level," said Clark

Age is just a number

The backstory:

Earlier this month, Clark won two gold medals at the Dublin International Open in Ireland – one in his weight class, and the other in a tournament of champions.

Clark says because there were no other competitors in his age group of 60 and up he had to beat an opponent who was 10 years younger than him in both matches.

"That felt good too. All of it like beating somebody that's younger than me, beating somebody who had three coaches there from Brazil," said Clark.

'It's a mind thing'

What they're saying:

Clark says he has a lot more injuries now than when he took part in sports like wrestling when he was younger, but he says having the right mindset has helped him find success on the mat later in life.

"A lot of people when they're 60 – they have retired long before this, but I enjoy competing now more than ever," said Clark.

Clark says he didn't bring home the hardware he wanted when he was in high school and college, but there is no time like the present.

"I'm making up for lost time, but I'm not quite there yet. I think I need to win a few more in order to make things right," said Clark.